STRIKE!!

Well, as I’m sure many of you have already heard, The University of Botswana Professors and general staff have been on strike this entire week. (also known as, …..NO SCHOOL!).


I must warn you, I’m not exactly sure on many of the circumstances surrounding the strike but I believe this is the general gist.

It seems the professors here at UB have not had an income adjustment in roughly five years or so. The University as claimed that the budget is limited and a wage increase is just not possible. Come to find out, UB was sitting on approximately 30 million pula that they were using less then appropriately.

When the numbers where crunched, and the money divided; management had settled on a 78 percent increase for their head honcho and next to nothing for professors and general staff members. For whatever reason, this didn’t sit too well with the majority of employees.

After a month of planning and deliberating, it was put to a vote. Strike or no Strike? Amongst those of the Professor staff that voted a whapping four “NO” votes were cast against a overwhelming majority.

And so, as of Tuesday September 14th, 2010 The first legal strike ever in Botswana commenced! And I have the photos to prove it.

Professors and staff skipped class, wrote a petition, painted signs, sang songs, and Marched around campus.

Comparatively to what we have seen in the U.S. this seemed like a very peaceful, mellow strike, but it got the job done! I’m told that management has decided to negotiate! Classes are set to resume this Monday as usual though classes have been disrupted so we can all count on our schedules being a little off.

I’ll keep you posted on what happens from here!

What's important about this picture? Well, you see that man holding the sign? That's my Professor.