Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Central Equatoria state teachers have finally laid down their tools over unpaid salaries of two months that were given by the National Minister of Public Service. The teachers promised not to teach until their salaries are paid as approved by the National Ministry of Public Service.
According to the Secretary-General of CES Teachers’ Union Justin Walak, it is estimated that over 1,800 teachers in 35 schools finally put down their tools and promised not to teach until their demands are met.
Addressing the media, the Chairperson for Central Equatoria teachers’ professional Union George SebitBensio confirmed that teachers laid down their tools over unpaid salaries for two months.
“The stand of the teachers is very clear, we shall not teach until the state government reverses the decision of removing one column (Nature of work allowance) in the salary structure and pay our full salaries as approved by the National Ministry of Public Service,” Sebit said.
In a separate Press Conference, the Minister of General Education, Central Equatoria State Cirsio Zechariah said that the state government is ready to pay the teachers’ salaries in one or two weeks asking teachers to return to work.
“We are going to settle the problem within one or two weeks, we, therefore, call on all the teachers to keep teaching as we prepare to meet their demand,” Cirsio said.
“We did not meet the demand of the teachers simply because people were for holidays but we are ready to pay them as per the recently approved salary structure if we are given time” he added.
Sebit added that the teachers will only receive the salaries that contained the nature of work allowances. “This is our position; it is very clear we are not going to teach if our demands are not met.
If teachers are not paid as per the recently approved salary structure by the national Ministry of Public Service, we are not going to work” he expressed. He called on the teachers to be patient citing that the Union is following the necessary procedures to realize the right of the teachers.
“We feel disappointed and demoralized because we did not expect from the state government who is supposed to take care of education to violate the right of teachers given to them by the President” he complained.
“To our surprise, we found out that our state government has removed the column of nature of allowances and wanted to pay us like that” he added.
Last year, ( late December 2021) Central Equatoria State teachers threatened not to work when schools open on the 3rd of January 2022 unless the nature of work allowances is included in their salary structure.
Justine Walak Thomas, the Secretary-General for Central Equatoria state Teachers’ Union mentioned that teachers would not turn up for teaching on the 3rd of January until the state authorities meet their demand.
“We told the Minister of Education and we gave them duration from 17th of December to 23rd if they failed to insert the nature of allowances column to be part of the salary, then we shall go for Christmas without salaries and lay down our tools not to return back to teaching until our demand is met,” Walak said.
However, CirsioZecharia, the state Minister of Education called on the teachers to get their salaries and later discuss the issue of the nature of work allowances.
“I, Governor and the Minister of Finance met the teachers and we talked to them about financial difficulties we are facing and urged them to get their salaries and later discuss the issue of nature of work allowances after Christmas,” Cirsio said.
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