Last week, Academic Staff from the University of Papua New Guinea School of Medicine and Health Sciences announced their stop work in protest over entitlements owed to them since 2014.
UPNG main campus classes came to a halt on Monday, January 30, as the boycott by the UPNG National Academic Staff Association commences. The UPNG NASA announced that they will not return to work until their 7.5 pay increments from 2015 are paid.
NASA President, Emmanuel Gorea, states they have not collected enough signatures, but are certain that by Monday afternoon they would have enough from academic staff to stop work for five days.
While the semester 2 for 2016 is midway through its course, the stop work is another dilemma for final year students who eagerly want to graduate.
Final Year Geology student, Ben Mondo, said he hoped the government would listen if they were serious about education.
“We were supposed to graduate last year but now its been moved to this year and now the stop work will greatly affect us.”
Gorea said that they would be meeting with the Acting Vice Chancellor, Vincent Malaibe, this afternoon.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Albert Mellam is currently on leave.
EMTV News contacted the Administration for comments, however, they have advised that they were currently meeting on the issue and would address the media when they have talked with NASA.
Meanwhile, the UPNG Medical faculty stop work protest is continuing into its second week.
Both protests are due to what they describe as being payment issues from the national government.
