This morning, Monday, December 2, 2024, the Faculty Union at Lahj University carried out a protest in the courtyard of the College of Education and Science in the city of Sabr, Tuban District, in protest against the deteriorating living conditions and in defense of their academic and legitimate rights, in light of the violations and procrastination by the legitimate government.

During the protest, Dr. Fouad Al-Subaihi, head of the university’s teaching staff union, read the statement issued by the protest, calling on his colleagues in the teaching staff at the universities of Aden, Abyan and Shabwa to stand together and with a shared responsibility to protect their legitimate rights from any violation.

The statement held the relevant authorities in the government responsible for the disruption of the educational process that the escalation might result in, noting that the union leadership will hold an expanded meeting with other unions soon to determine the escalation mechanisms and review the next steps. The protesters confirmed that they would not accept that the situation remain as it is.

The protesters also gave the government one month, starting from the date of issuance of the statement, to achieve their legitimate demands, which are:

1. Paying the salary on time on the 30th of every month, and putting an end to the suffering of delaying salaries.

2. Implementing what was agreed upon with the government representative, the Minister of Civil Service and Insurance, Dr. Abdel Nasser Al-Wali, regarding lifting the previous strike, which includes an increase of 100 thousand riyals for each employee.

3. The government fulfills its duty to alleviate the suffering of the people by improving services, monitoring the prices of basic foodstuffs, reducing fuel prices, and addressing the collapse of the currency.

4. Restore the salary to its status in hard currency as it was before 2015.

5. Bridging the gap between the salaries of faculty members and assistant faculty members, by raising the salary of the assistant faculty member to at least 200 thousand riyals.

6. Launching settlements for professors and associate professors that have been stalled for years, and providing job vacancies for academic and administrative appointees.

7. Protecting the university campus, and the government’s implementation of the agreements it signed with the leadership of the university’s faculty union.