By Tabora Bojang
The Staff and Faculty Association of the University of The Gambia is continuing with its sit-down strike after its members rejected the government’s latest proposal.
The association had urged its members to return to work Tuesday after holding a meeting presided over by the vice president and several other ministers.
At the meeting it was resolved that the lecturers suspend their sit-down strike while an independent review committee to be chaired by the Department of Labour be established to review the dismissal of lecturers Dr Alieu Gibba and Associate Professor Matarr Njie whose dismissals triggered the lecturers’ indefinite sit-strike.
It was also resolved that an independent review committee should produce its report by Friday and that the outcome of its investigations will be agreed to by all parties in the interest of the university.
The secretary general of the UTG Faculty and Staff Association, Yorro Njie, told The Standard that the general assembly “did not agree with this proposal” and as a result they had gone back on their strike.
He said the strike will continue until further notice. Asked if there is room for negotiation, Njie said: “We will negotiate but our standing is very clear. We want our colleagues [Dr Alieu Gibba and Associate Professor Matarr Njie] reinstated and then life goes on because the manner in which they were sacked was a conspiracy, a personal vendetta.”
This standoff between the university’s management and lecturers is taking a toll on students since it has completely disrupted learning with most students unable to complete their courses or prepare for exams scheduled to begin next week.
On Monday, a group of concerned students gathered at the UTG vice chancellor’s office to vent their frustration with these uncertainties and urged the authorities to urgently address the issue.
