Bong County, Liberia — Efforts to resolve the ongoing nationwide strike by the Rural Universities and Colleges Faculty Association of Liberia (RUCFAL) have hit another stalemate, following a high-level negotiation meeting between the administration of the Bong County Technical College (BCTC) and RUCFAL’s executive leadership.
The meeting, held earlier today and convened by BCTC’s administration, aimed to explore possible solutions to the crippling strike that continues to disrupt academic activities at nine public colleges and universities across Liberia. However, after more than three hours of closed-door discussions, no agreement was reached, as RUCFAL reaffirmed its decision to stay away from all academic activities until its demands are met.
RUCFAL has long cited salary disparities and what it calls unfair treatment by the Government of Liberia as the basis for its industrial action, calling for timely and concrete redress.
Speaking to reporters following the meeting, BCTC’s Vice President for Administration, James Sibley, expressed disappointment over the outcome but remained cautiously optimistic about future negotiations. “The emergence of situations like this is common, but it takes time to have it resolved,” Sibley stated.
RUCFAL’s national president, Varney Allen, was firm in the union’s position. He criticized the BCTC administration for resuming academic activities despite the unresolved grievances and accused the college of compromising the union’s interests behind closed doors.
While acknowledging the autonomy of institutions to resume classes, Allen emphasized that collective pressure on the national government would be more effective in achieving a lasting resolution than focusing solely on reopening campuses.
Despite the deadlock, BCTC has officially declared the school open as of Monday, stating part-time faculty have resolved to present lessons during this ongoing strike. However, with the strike still in full effect and faculty members refusing to return to classrooms, the resumption of normal academic activities at BCTC remains uncertain.
