Gambiaj.com – (BRIKAMA, The Gambia) – Academic staff at the University of Education, The Gambia (UEG), formerly Gambia College, have commenced a sit-down strike after university management failed to address longstanding concerns over unpaid allowances, salary-related grievances, and worsening financial difficulties at the institution.
The industrial action follows a formal notice issued by the Gambia College Academic Staff Association (GCASA), which informed university authorities that staff would lay down their tools effective 1 June 2026 if their demands remained unresolved.
In a letter dated 26 May 2026 and addressed to the Vice Chancellor, GCASA Secretary General Saikou Omar Jarju reminded management that staff had earlier issued a 14-day notice on 7 May, giving the university sufficient time to address their concerns.
“Regrettably, there has been no satisfactory progress on the matters presented,” the association stated in the letter.
The union said staff would continue the strike until the demands submitted to management are adequately addressed.
Growing Frustration Among Lecturers
The strike comes amid mounting concerns about the financial health of UEG, which was officially transformed from Gambia College into a university towards the end of 2025.
According to sources within the institution, academic staff have become increasingly frustrated over what they describe as persistent delays in the payment of allowances and other contractual obligations.
Sources claim that each academic staff member is owed between D45,000 and D60,000 in accumulated unpaid allowances. Lecturers have reportedly expressed concerns that the prolonged delays have negatively affected their morale and financial well-being.
Among the key grievances cited by staff are the exclusion of university employees from the government’s recent 30 percent salary increment, late payment of salaries, non-payment of allowances, and outstanding payments for contracted engagements.
Staff members also accuse university management of repeatedly promising to settle the outstanding payments without delivering on those commitments.
Funding Challenges
Sources familiar with the university’s finances attribute the crisis partly to inadequate government funding.
According to information obtained by this medium, UEG’s monthly expenditure is estimated at around D9 million, while government subvention reportedly amounts to only D2 million per month. The remaining operational costs are allegedly covered largely through student tuition fees.
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) has also been accused by some sources of owing the university close to D50 million in unpaid obligations.
Neither the university management nor the ministry had publicly responded to those claims at the time of publication.
Impact on Staff and Academic Activities
Lecturers say the financial difficulties have placed significant strain on their personal lives, affecting their ability to meet rental obligations and other family responsibilities.
Some staff members allege that the university recently prioritized funding for its graduation ceremony over the settlement of outstanding staff remuneration.
As part of the industrial action, lecturers are expected to boycott all academic activities, both online and in-person, until their concerns are addressed.
Sources within the institution warn that additional measures could be taken if the situation is not resolved urgently.
The strike is expected to disrupt academic activities at the Brikama campus and raises fresh questions about the financial sustainability of the country’s newest public university as it seeks to establish itself following its transition from Gambia College.
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