No exams until demands met - UNESWA lecturers
MATSAPHA – While the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) administration has announced that exams will commence next Monday, lecturers have declared that exams will not continue until their demands are met.
Following a memorandum sent by the administration of UNESWA on the announcement of examinations for second semester students being postponed by a week, lecturers have taken a stand that they will not work until the environment was conducive.
The university issued a memo to all staff and students yesterday morning, after examinations did not commence as lecturers were in a meeting to determine whether they would invigilate for the second semester examinations scheduled to commence yesterday. It came after the university delayed the payment of staff salaries, which led to a stand-off between the two parties.
Salaries
The salaries were eventually paid on Friday last week, but the lecturers under the Association of Lecturers, Academic and Administrative Personnel (ALAAP), expressed a desire to seek medical attention this week, following the delay in their salaries.
After the lecturers’meeting yesterday morning, coinciding with the exam start time (9am), the university Registrar, Dr Salebona Simelane, issued the memorandum stating that, “…..Effectively, the examinations shall commence on Monday, March 4, 2024. The inconvenience caused is regretted.”
In response, lecturers, through ALAAP Secretary General (SG) Dr Mduduzi Shongwe, announced that they would not resume work until they received full payment of their pension fund and medical aid benefits. The lecturers stated that the lack of payment had impacted their ability to effectively perform their duties.
“We got the memo, but unfortunately it has come at a time when the staff has gone to seek medical remedies, which is what we are busy with this week,” Dr Shongwe said.
He said lecturers communicated five resolutions, one of them being, going to Parliament yesterday. He said they were able to do that. Dr Shongwe mentioned that this week, they would be seeking remedial assistance. The staff had resolved that they would go to the Ministry of Education and Training, and the Prime Minister’s Office, to petition government to place UNESWA under the administration of the Education Ministry immediately, until new management was put in place. “We also resolved that we are giving the administration one week to resign, since employees can no longer work under this current management. ALAAP members haven’t changed from this resolution,” the SG said during the interview yesterday. He further stated that they would also deliver a petition to the Ministry of Education and Training on the fourth of next month. “As far as we know, we still stand that we want this current administration to resign this week, as well as remit medical aid and pension this week,” he said.
Obligation
Dr Shongwe said: “It is amazing that the university expects us to honour our contractual obligation. We always honour our end, but they have been flouting the contractual obligations when we are supposed to be remunerated, and yet now they remember that there is a contract when we are supposed to work. It is very surprising to say the least.”
He said as it were, their employer had only paid them part of their monies. Dr Shongwe said remuneration included staff benefits, such as medical aid and pension. “We are going to do our job when the environment is conducive, but for now, nothing has changed that next week on the 4th, ALAAP members resolved that they will be visiting the Ministry of Education and Prime Minister’s Office to deliver a petition,” he said.
Meanwhile, the current state at the university has left students in a difficult position, as they revealed that they were unsure when the exams would resume, and how this would impact their studies. The students disclosed that the delay had caused uncertainty and stress for them. In addition, they mentioned that the postponement had impacted the academic calendar and may result in a delay in the start of the next semester.
“It is clear that the university does not care about us, as we will either fail, or need to supplement. This could lead to added costs for us, as we may be required to extend our stay at the university. This will also delay our graduation,” they lamented.
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