– Over Unpaid Salaries
By Jerromie S. Walters
MONROVIA, LIBERIA – Academic activities at the University of Liberia (UL) have been plunged into paralysis after the university’s full-time faculty, in a dramatic show of force, declared an indefinite strike, accusing the administration and the government of abandoning them to crumbling classrooms, broken promises, and unpaid wages.
The decision, voted on unanimously during a tense Emergency General Assembly convened by the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) on Friday, signals a total shutdown of all campuses—Capitol Hill, Fendall, and Medical. The move comes after what faculty describe as “one month of fruitless dialogue” following a mandate from a July 18th assembly.
The list of grievances read like a chronicle of institutional decay: raw sewage and poor sanitary conditions posing health risks to staff and students; a “long-standing” promotion backlog stalling careers for years; glaring salary disparities; and the non-remittance of social security contributions, jeopardizing faculty retirement. The strike was catalyzed by the more immediate and incendiary issue of outstanding payments for overload and vacation school salaries—work already performed but left uncompensated.
“Enough is enough,” a statement from the ULFA Secretariat read. “The patience of the faculty has been met with empty promises. Our work has value, our welfare is non-negotiable, and our dignity will no longer be sidelined.”
The core demand is no longer merely the resolution of individual issues but the signing of a comprehensive Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)—a legally binding contract that would force the UL Administration and the Government of Liberia to codify their commitments to faculty welfare. This strategic shift from asking for concessions to demanding a negotiated agreement marks a significant escalation in the long-standing dispute.
“The July assembly gave them a month to sit with us and show a good-faith commitment to solving these problems that have festered for a decade or more. That deadline has come and gone with no meaningful progress,” a senior professor, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, told our correspondent. “What option do we have left but to withdraw our labor? We are tired of teaching in neglect while our families wait for pay that never comes.”
The strike throws the upcoming academic semester into immediate and profound uncertainty. Thousands of students now face cancelled classes and an interrupted education, placing immense pressure on the university administration and the Ministry of Education to intervene swiftly.
