By Olimatou Coker
The University of Applied Science, Engineering, and Technology (USET) staff welfare association, yesterday called a press conference to highlight what they called ‘the present distressful and painful financial issues that linger on silently within the institution”.
Samuel Mendy, spokesman of the association said these financial liabilities have trapped USET staff, especially the subordinates, in shackles of impoverishment, financial oppression, and stagnation as well as social disempowerment.
“The main financial issues causing this disgruntlement are failure to settle arrears of the staff welfare’s monthly contributions and discontinuing depositing these funds in the account despite deductions,” he said.
According to Mendy, these lapses started since March 2023 amounting now to D262.800.00. He said another major issue is the incomplete payment of arrears owed to the Credit Union and default in depositing the monthly deductions of members of the Credit Union even though the deductions are continuing.
“Precisely, the USET owed the Credit Union an amount of D1.432.036, which rendered the GTTI Credit Union insolvent, making it virtually impossible for members to withdraw their own savings.
Another financial discrepancy is default in paying staff income tax to the Gambia Revenue Authority even though pay slips regularly indicates deductions have been made. Furthermore, the contracted lecturers for the Ordinary National Diploma- (Construction) course, have not been paid since the completion of the semester and it is now six months from the commencement to completion of the program yet no payment has been made to these lecturers. The money owed to these lecturers for the four monthly semester program sums up to D72,000.00”, Mendy lamented.
He added that the staff gratuity savings at the Social Security and Housing Finance Cooperation have not been paid from September 2023 to date, which is “worrisome. because this what paid as pension upon retirement”.
The PRO alleged segregation in the new USET paying scale ‘for a selected few staff” whilst majority of the rest wallow in the old GTTI pay scale.
”This proves the lack of concern, commitment to motivate staff, and condescending attitude of the USET leadership. Also monthly delay in the payment of salaries is becoming a norm in this institution. These things are just the tip of the iceberg as there are other financial discrepancies,” Mendy said.
He stated that there have been meetings to resolve these matters but nothing has been achieved until a dateline of September 30 elapsed following which a sit-down action comes into play until our demands are met.”
