Section of Yemen university lecturers continue with strike

The Workers Union of the Universities of Sana'a and Aden has reached an agreement with the leadership of the Ministry of Higher Education to lessen its three hour strike to two hours and to open lectures, libraries and lab classes. However, professors at Sana'a University are still on strike, according to the union.

The union said that representatives from their organization met with the Minister of Higher Education, Saleh Ba Sura, and the Rector of Sana'a University, Khaled Tamim, on Saturday at the ministry.

Representatives from the workers union of the Universities of Sana'a and Aden came out with a meeting statement after in their meeting with the Minister and the Rector. This memo assigned the Minister of Civil Service, the Minister of Higher Education and the Minister of Finance to discuss and investigate workers' demands at the universities and to set up proper solutions for the status of technicians and administrative personnel.

According to the memo, the assigned officials will discuss workers' demands according to the appropriate laws concerning their posts and their wages.

The memo also said that representatives from the workers union of Aden and Sana'a University would participate in the proceedings of the committee responsible for following-up on workers demands.

Representatives from workers unions at other universities also have the right to participate in the proceedings of the committee and attend its sessions.

Workers at public universities such as Sana'a and Aden University have been struggling to get their rights for a long time. This time, they are intensifying their strike to force the state to improve their financial status and provide them with medical insurance.

In a press release, the Workers Union of the Universities of Sana'a and Aden, welcomed the ministry's response to their demands. However, they threatened to only reduce the strike to two hours for two weeks and warned that if the state kept procrastinating they would go back on full strike.

Similarly, the Head of the Professors Union at Sana'a University, Dr Abdullah Al-Azazi, told the Yemen Times that his colleagues at the university remain on strike. Furthermore, he stated that the government has started to respond to their strike, saying that his union would meet the leadership of the Higher Council.

The professors are in a similar situation to that of the technicians and administrative personnel, they demand that the state optimize their financial status, provide them with medical insurance and promote academic reform through combating corruption.