Sana’a University professors threaten total strike

The Academic Staff Union of Sana’a University began another partial strike this week on Saturday, May 12.  They continued to strike for two hours a day until Monday. On Tuesday, the strike was expected to increase in duration, taking place for four hours a day from Tuesday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.  Unless the university grants the professors of Sana’a University all of the things it has previously promised, the professors will launch a total strike beginning Saturday, May 19.

This is the third strike the professors have held this year. The first one took place on March 31, and was then postponed, because the university presidency committed to fulfilling the professors demands. President Khalid Tumaim signed an agreement with the union on Wednesday, April 11 that said the union would postpone their strike for two weeks, after the university promised to meet most of their demands. The professors now are striking to demand the residential land promised to them; the delivery of promised computers; money for the Academic Staff Union; the reinstatement of salaries for retired professors and the families of deceased professors, the delivery of their housing allowance; and promotions and higher salaries and better benefits for professors with advanced degrees. 

Union members also want the law of academic standards and administrative appointments applied. This law holds that the most qualified person in a batch of applicants must be hired.  The union demands that the university not politicize the educational process and academic appointments, and they should rely on the criteria of efficiency, competence, and qualifications in the appointments rather than partisan affiliations. In addition, the union demands the implementation of the reforms of university education, more work to achieve financial and administrative independence for universities, the promotion of academic freedoms, the support of scientific research and the eradication of all weapons from the university campus.

The union also demands support for the rights of the professors that have been attacked in the university. “There are three professors who have been attacked. One in the Faculty of Commerce, one in the Faculty of Languages, and the last in the Faculty of Science,” said Abdullah al-Az’azi, the Media Officer at the union. “The presidency has formed committees to investigate these incidents but they have not reached anything useful.”  All the professors’ demands have been delayed and hindered by the ministries of Finance and Civil Service and Insurance,” said al-Az’azi. “All the agreements and the promises have not been achieved until now.”  

The union will meet the Prime Minister Ali Mujawar to discuss with him the demands of the university professors and their assistants, he said.  The administration of the union says that the strike will continue until all of the professors’ demands have been met, and their agreements with the university have been implemented.   The General Union of Yemeni Students of the University of Sana’a has announced the students’ solidarity with their professors and their assistants. 

“The students’ union supports the professors, because the students are the first who will get affected by the strike, especially given the approaching of the semester’s final exams,” said Majed al-Arasi, the Head of the General Union of Yemeni Students of Sana’a University at the Faculty of Commerce.  Although he supports the demands of the professors, he wishes they had not picked this particular time to strike.

“I am not with the strike in this sensitive time, and the professors have had enough time to strike.”  Al-Arasi denied that the students’ union demanded the resignation of the Chancellor of Sana’a University, Prof Khalid Tumaim. “Tumaim is one of Sana’a University’s professors, and he seeks to achieve these demands like his colleagues.”  

The union calls upon all the local, Arab and foreign media and all civil society organizations to support them for the sake of the reforms of university education, the upgrading of the educational process, and the achievement of the professors’ demands as a prerequisite for the reform of the educational process.  “There are many universities that support us, such as Dhamar and Taiz, in addition to civil society organizations. They all affirm the legality of our demands and will subscribe to our protest activities,” said al-Az’azi.

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