MASERU — Lectures at Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT) are set to resume next week after the university brought in expatriate staff this week.
LUCT corporate secretary, Tefo Macheli, told the Lesotho Times yesterday that the first batch of lecturers arrived in Lesotho on Monday.
He however refused to disclose their number or when the next group is due to arrive in the country for fear of compromising their safety.
“Classes should have begun today (Wednesday) but they have been postponed to next week. Students have appealed that classes begin next week,” Macheli said.
Macheli last week said lectures will only resume at Limkokwing once management felt the situation was safe.
He said management was still in the process of setting up a meeting with the striking lecturers to kick-start negotiations. Macheli added that the striking lecturers will not be paid while they are on strike.
“We have agreed with the teachers that they will not be paid if they embark on a strike. We have also agreed that replacement staff will be called to continue with the lectures,” he said.
The lecturers downed tools on Monday to press management to hire more teachers and review their employment contracts.
They also want management to introduce a provident pension scheme for lecturers.
In addition, they want management to lift a policy that bars lecturers from leaving the campus between 8am and 5pm.
Limkokwing University of Creative Technology Staff Union (Luctasu) spokesperson, Malefetsane Nchaka, said they contacted the university this week to set a platform for negotiations.
Nchaka however accused the management of negotiating in bad faith alleging that Macheli had asked them to put their request in writing.
“That, to us, showed that the management is not ready to engage in negotiations with us,” Nchaka said.
“They have locked us out of the facility and they want us to write a letter to them yet we cannot access our office to type such a letter.”
Meanwhile, the Limkokwing University Non-Academic Staff Union (Lunasu) has condemned the decision to hire lecturers from outside the country.
The union said the management and lecturers should thrash out their differences amicably.
“We are strongly against the management’s resolution to bring expatriate lecturers on board as a solution to the prevailing situation,” Lunasu said in statement on Monday.
“The only sustainable solution is to address the issues rather than avoiding the problem and trying to prove that the university management has power to (fight).”
