One week for the government to fulfill its promises to university teachers [Archives:2007/1100/Local News]
Almigdad Dahesh Mojalli
SANA'A, Nov. 3 ) The teaching staff of Sana'a University is giving the government one week to fulfill its commitments and promises to the teaching staff at the university. In addition, the Sana'a University Teachers Syndicate threatened to resume protests and to start striking in case the concerned authorities continue to procrastinate.
The extended meeting of university teachers and assistants, held in Yasser Arafat hall at the Faculty of Trading and Commerce on Thursday, Nov. 1st 2007, affirmed the necessity of putting an end to the government's delays after giving it excessive time to prove its credibility and seriousness.
The extended meeting called on prime minister Dr. Ali Mujawar to abide by the agreement signed between the government and the Sana'a University Teachers' Syndicate on May 5th 2007. It additionally requested the prime minister to oblige the concerned authorities represented in the Ministry of Civil Services, Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Finance and the Presidency of Sana'a University to execute his directives and the signed agreements, indicating that these authorities were not serious about reaching practical and real results.
The syndicate places the responsibility of renewed protests on the concerned authorities, pointing out that the protests will not stop with employee strikes, but will spread to the streets.
Dr. Abdullah Al-Azazzi, the person in charge of media at the syndicate, said, “Our only demand today is to execute the reports and agreements signed with the prime minister, the ministers of concerned ministries and the Sana'a University rector. We have no any new demands other than those agreed upon.”
Al-Azazzi clarified that the signed reports and agreements involve legal demands, like financial and administrative independence of the universities, modification of declining situations, commitment to apply university laws, attention to scientific research, and mending corruption concerning new wages, issuing a system for teaching staff positions and wages which organizes rights and duties in addition to treating issues of bonuses and academic ranking. The reports and agreements also involve pensioners, death and health insurance.
Al-Azazzi affirmed that the syndicate has given concerned authorities sufficient time to prove their credibility and seriousness in carrying out the agreements. He indicated that it is time to go outside the university campus and hold sit-ins and peaceful marches at the gates of the concerned authorities, Cabinet, Parliament and presidential palace.
Al-Azazzi stated that after their meeting with the prime minister in May 2007, he gave more than fifteen directives to the concerned authorities, but since that time none of the directed officials has responded except for the Sana'a University rector, who executed some of the prime minister's directives regarding payment of salaries in case of death, amending pensioners' cases and distributing about 400 computer devices for university teachers.
Al-Azazzi called on all NGOs as well as local and international media to stand with the university teachers to serve the educational system and amend the welfare of universities in Yemen.
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