The Union of Academic Staff Associations (UASA) has announced the immediate suspension of its industrial action following an intervention by Vice-President Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh, raising hopes of a resolution to the prolonged dispute between university lecturers and the government.
In a press release dated 6 November 2026, UASA said the decision followed a plea by the Vice-President for the union to suspend its industrial action and return to work while awaiting a signed written agreement from the Ministry of Finance.
The union said it convened plenary meetings across its constituent associations to deliberate on the Vice-President’s appeal, after which its general membership resolved to suspend the ongoing strike with immediate effect.
The industrial dispute has centred on demands for improved remuneration and revised conditions of service for academic staff in public tertiary institutions.
UASA has been pushing for a 100 per cent salary increase and the implementation of revised Harmonised Conditions of Service, arguing that rising living costs have eroded lecturers’ purchasing power and that improved working conditions are necessary to strengthen the country’s higher education sector.
The union’s demands have also been linked to concerns about the length of time academic staff have gone without a new negotiated settlement.
The government has previously pointed to salary adjustments, including an increase of about 87.5 per cent and a further 15 per cent adjustment effective from April 2025, as part of its response to public-sector remuneration concerns. However, disagreements over the proposed salary increase and the implementation of the revised conditions of service have continued to complicate negotiations.
The industrial action raised concerns about disruptions to teaching, examinations and other academic activities at public tertiary institutions, putting additional pressure on efforts to maintain stability in the higher education sector.
Despite the suspension, UASA has made clear that it expects concrete commitments from the government before the dispute can be considered fully resolved.
The union is calling for a joint meeting involving the Vice-President, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), where a written agreement outlining the terms reached by the parties would be signed.
According to UASA, the agreement must clearly state the accepted percentage salary increase and provide specific timelines for its implementation.
The union has also called on the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) to expedite approval of the Harmonised Conditions of Service and ensure that copies of the approved document are made available to UASA.
It further wants the Ministry of Finance to involve its representatives in calculating the figures relating to the agreed salary increase, saying their participation would promote transparency, accuracy and mutual understanding among the parties.
UASA expressed gratitude to the Vice-President and other stakeholders for their intervention, describing their efforts as important to finding a lasting and amicable resolution to the impasse.
The union said it remained committed to constructive engagement and a peaceful resolution that would serve the interests of the higher education sector, students and the country.
