Sana’a University staff members stage sit-in [Archives:2007/1038/Local News]

SANA'A, April 1 ) Sana'a University staff members staged a sit-in last Saturday before the University Administration in protest against university presidency and government stalling on early promises towards the rights of staffers.

In their press release, the staff members claimed that teaching would be halted for two hours in all university faculties and its branches as an initial step, and then stoppages would gradually increase until their demands are met.

Head of Sana'a University Staff Members Syndicate Dr. Abdurrahman Ghanem told The Yemen Times that the demonstration aims at forcing the government to meet their demands including administrative and financial independence, giving more care to scientific research and toward the implementation of the judicial ruling issued by the Capital's West Court on March 7, 2007 that dictated the payment of suspended staffer salaries, and the handing in the President Saleh's gifts represented in personal computers.

Ghanem also asked that Yemeni Universities Law be applied to administrative and academic appointments and that the resolution of the Sana'a University Council concerning the distribution of land pieces among staff members and improving life standards of assistant staff members, readers and teachers be implemented, together with adopting hardship allowance for those not included in Wages Law No. 43 of 2005. He further demanded that staff members' residence allowances be paid that a 40 percent increase, to be calculated retrospectively since January 2005, be adopted.

President of Sana'a University Khalid Tamim accused the Finance Ministry of delaying the implementation of university staff members' demands. He also assured that his university has met some demands and was about to meet others over the coming period.

Dr. Abdullah Al-Azazi noted the demonstration helped release 47 suspended salaries of 35 deceased staff members. He added that the syndicate would shift the sit-in to the Ministry of Finance the next day and that staff members would staged a similar one before the cabinet on Tuesday.
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