Ntsebeng Motsoeli
MASERU — The National University of Lesotho (NUL) management has acquired a court order blocking a strike by the Lesotho University Teachers’ and Researchers’ Union (Lutaru).
On April 30 the Lutaru had notified the university management of its decision to go on strike on May 2.
The NUL’s communications and marketing officer, Phomolo Lebotsa, said the management decided to approach the court after realising that the union was planning to forge ahead with the strike.
“According to the communication from Lutaru the strike had already started before the management received the letter.
“It was an illegal strike so we were able to get a court order to stop it,” Lebotsa said.
On May 3 the Labour Court issued an interim court order to stop the strike.
A press release from NUL said classes were expected to resume on Friday.
The statement added that the university will do all in its power to ensure that there would be no disruption to studies.
The Lutaru executive committee could not be reached for comment.
Lutaru has for the past two years lamented bad working conditions, unsatisfactory salaries, shortage of teaching and research equipment.
Last year the union embarked on a strike that saw the university close down for almost two months, forcing the management to postpone the end of first semester examinations.
The institution re-opened on December 28 last year.
Lutaru said they wanted management to give them a 15 percent wage increment, close the salary gap between associate professors and senior lecturers and sign a recognition agreement.
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