Ntsebeng Motsoeli
MASERU — The National University of Lesotho (NUL) says the striking lecturers and researchers should resume work on December 28.
In a circular published in newspapers on December 11 the university management said those who fail to report for work will face disciplinary action.
The management said it expected lecturers and researchers to be at the campus at 8 am on December 28.
The Lesotho University Teachers and Researchers Union (Lutaru) went on strike on October 7 demanding a 15 percent salary increase and better working conditions.
Negotiations collapsed when the management said it could not afford the increase because the university was broke.
On October 12 Lutaru offered to temporarily suspend the strike to give negotiations a chance.
But two days later the management rejected the proposal saying it wanted a lasting solution to the dispute.
A temporary suspension of the strike, the management argued, would only postpone the problem.
On October 20 the management locked out Lutaru members, closed the university and implemented a no-work-no-pay policy.
The latest circular to staff said the council met on November 28 to discuss plans to reopen the university.
It said the council resolved that the no-work-no-pay policy will be suspended on December 16 “which is the last working day preceding the Christmas break”.
The council, the circular said, also resolved that negotiations with Lutaru will continue until December 23.
“The Labour Code Lock Out instituted on the 20th October 2011 shall be lifted and all staff members including members of Lutaru shall report to their work stations on the 28th December 2011 at 0800 hrs and resume their respective contractual duties without failure,” said the circular.
“Those who fail to report to their duty stations and resume their duties on the date referred (to in 2.2 (a) above) shall render themselves liable for disciplinary action which shall be instituted against them. Equally, the no work, no pay rule shall be applied.”
The circular said classes will resume on January 3 and “management has developed a recovery plan agreed by Senate to make up for the lost teaching time”.
“All lecturers shall comply with the plan,” the circular added.
Lutaru president Ramohapi Shale said the union members were yet to discuss their reaction to the circular.
“We will decide in a meeting yet to be set whether we get back to work or not,” Shale said.