By Umaru Fofana
There seems to still be a logjam between the state and striking lecturers in all the country’s three public universities.
The meeting between Vice President Dr Juldeh Jalloh and representatives of striking lecturers ended yesterday without agreement with the industrial action set to continue.
The president of the Academic Staff Association of the University of Sierra Leone said the VP did not address their key demand, namely a 100% pay rise.
Dr Williette James said they were left “disappointed” because the vice president said he was not in a position to make any fiscal commitment to the aggrieved lecturers.
Speaking to Politico, she said they would therefore not resume lectures, leaving in limbo the reopening of universities for a new academic year which should have happened last week.
Dr James said that without a commitment made to what the government would or could give and when, she would have to call a general meeting of her members to determine the way forward. It is not clear when that meeting will be held.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tertiary and Higher Education, Gilbert Cooper, said negotiations were still ongoing. He told Politico that a framework had been established to look into the general conditions of service of lectures in universities and polytechnics to advise the presidency on a possible review.
Cooper said the membership would be drawn from all member institutions and line ministries with the inaugural meeting holding next Tuesday.
There were representatives from all three universities, including Njala whose Academic Staff president had earlier told Politico that they would not attend.
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