Teachers threaten exams deadlock amid salary impasse
Teachers in Central Equatoria State have called on President Salva Kiir to pressure state authorities to release their 100 per cent new salary scale to avoid any inconvenience to the scheduled Primary Leaving Examinations.
The teachers said failure to fully pay the approved salaries by the national ministry of finance and planning would force them to boycott giving exams to finalists come next month.
“We are appealing to the national government, especially the president, to intervene because it is going to be very serious now because [students] cannot be kept outside the classes for this long time where there are finalists among students.”
“The timetable is out and the examination is not going to be cancelled simply because of Central Equatoria State only. This is a national program, so it is upon the national government to make sure that they intervene so that the issue is solved,” said Mr Justine Walak, the Secretary-General of the Central Equatoria State Teachers Union.
Mr Walak made the call following the state cabinet meeting chaired by Governor Emmanuel Adil Anthony last Friday that resolved to deter the approval of the civil servants’ new salary scale.
According to the State Minister of Information, Dr Andruga Mabe, the deterrence was pending communications from the national government to enable the state government to pay the civil servants’ salaries inclusive allowances.
“Regarding the memo on the approval of the nature of work allowance of all state civil servants, the council deferred the memo until further communication from the national government,’’ said Dr Mabe on Friday last week.
Dr Mabe’s statement on civil servants’ salaries, however, contradicts what the minister of general education and instruction and an official from the ministry of labour and public service said regarding teachers’ demands.
“We are reliably informed that some state governors do divert these funds for other uses, which contravene the conditions under which the funds are transferred. Those states that paid teachers only basic salaries without allowances must pay basic plus allowances in full because it comes as a package with inclusive allowances, ” said Ms Awut Deng Achuil, Minister of General Education and Instruction.
The Director-General for Human Resources in the Ministry of Labour and Public Service, Darius Okeny Oridi, said, “the misinterpretation that some states might have derived is what we wonder why and who, actually misinterpreted it for them.” They should have had a consultation with the origin of the salary structure so that they are informed.”
“To the best of our knowledge, the minister of finance multiplied the 2020/2021 budget by two, which means the total amount for the filing given for the personal budget was multiplied by two, which means it encompasses all the allowances.”
But Mr Walak reiterated that teachers in Central Equatoria State would continue with the strike for as long as authorities withheld the salary they deserved as their right, pointing out that “it will be up to the government to decide” to solve the matter within a week for the betterment of educating South Sudanese children.
Over the weekend, activist, Edmund Yakani, the Executive Director of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), urged teachers to drag state authorities to court, promising to provide them with legal support given the sufficient evidence already at hand.
