Oman- University of Nizwa staff protest salary delay

Date

8/21/2016 12:39:45 AM

(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat-

On Thursday last week, staff at the University of Nizwa had begun a protest over delayed July salaries and concern over the university's future.

English teacher Andrew Thomas, began a picket protest holding a sign reading, 'Please, Pay Us!' at the entrance to the university. 'We're pretty upset. I mean other schools, colleges and universities around the country, their staff have received their salaries, so I don't know what's going on,' he said in a telephone interview on Thursday.

The university had admitted it's facing a financial 'crisis' apparently related to the wider economic situation in the country. All 1,100 staff members - from security guards to teachers - were unpaid in July.

By the end of the same day, most staff had received their salaries.

Staff said the withheld salary represents underlying problems at the university. Salaries had already been delayed several times this year.

Foundation Institute English teachers said 20 fellow teachers from their department have been laid off since March. They said student enrolment to the institute has been declining for a year, to half of what it once was.

Of the 1,100 staff, around 700 are teachers and the rest support staff.

Teachers said discussions were held with the university's labour union, the vice chancellor of finance and the Ministry of Manpower to resolve the issue.

In a letter to staff, Dr Ahmad al Rawahi, chancellor, University of Nizwa said he regretted the situation and that it was due to reasons 'against our wishes'.

Dr Rawahi added it was tied to 'difficulties in the flow of public money'. He thanked everyone for their understanding and cooperation to 'exit from this crisis'.

Another English teacher said, 'There's a total lack of job security. Nobody knows from one day to the next, who's going to get renewed, who's not going to get renewed.'

The teacher was also concerned about the overall future of the university. She said the construction of the university's new campus has been delayed by several years. 'The new campus doesn't even have block foundations after four years. Money is being placed elsewhere. I've seen malls being built faster in Nizwa.'

She also pointed to the lack of student enrolment and the teachers being laid off. 'We don't have a full roster of students at all. We've got half of what we should have.'

The University of Nizwa, founded in 2002 is one of three private universities in the country, along with Sohar University and University of Dhofar.

The university could be 'restructured', said the teacher. 'There's a lot more happening than just this. There's a restructuring. We're not sure, but there's something brewing here,' she said.

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