Sierra Leone Academic Staff Issue 21-Day Strike Ultimatum Over 100% Pay Increase
- Grace Bangura
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Academic staff across Sierra Leone’s public tertiary institutions have formally issued a 21-day ultimatum to the national government, demanding the immediate implementation of reviewed Conditions of Service and a 100 percent salary increase, or face a complete shutdown of public universities starting mid-September.
The Union of Academic Staff Associations (UASA) delivered the formal strike notice in a letter addressed to the Minister of Technical and Higher Education on August 13, 2026. According to the union leadership, the countdown officially began on August 14, placing the commencement of industrial action on September 15, 2026, if key grievances remain unresolved.
The ultimatum follows three years of continuous, yet fruitless, discussions involving multiple state entities, including the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education, the Ministry of Finance, the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), the Wages and Compensation Commission, and the Office of the Chief Minister at State House.
Central to the negotiations are two core demands: the immediate rollout of updated Conditions of Service and formal government commitment to double staff salaries. Union leaders argue that years of administrative delays have severely impacted higher education standards across the country.
"The continued delay is not only eroding the morale of academic staff but is also severely affecting the quality of teaching, research, and community service delivery in our public tertiary institutions," UASA stated, noting that previous appeals and correspondences have yielded no concrete commitments.
The union confirmed that the mandate to strike was finalized after comprehensive consultations with its general membership and a resolution passed by its branch presidents. Unless a negotiated settlement is reached within the 21-day window, academic staff nationwide will withdraw all services on September 15.
Despite the formal notice, UASA emphasized that it remains open to constructive dialogue and expressed hope that relevant authorities—led by the Ministries of Technical and Higher Education and Finance—will utilize the window to reach a satisfactory resolution for the stability of Sierra Leone's tertiary education sector.
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