from Post Courier 2 Nov

"Unitech NASA members on strike
MEMBERS of the National Academic Staff Association (NASA) at the University of Technology are on strike. This comes on the eve of exams for the university students which will start tomorrow and ends next Friday. The staff members started an indefinite strike to protest over what they claim is a deliberate delay in implementing an officially sanctioned domestic market allowances (DMA) going back to 2002. They are also alleging that there has been gross misappropriation and mismanagement by the Unitech management and administration on superannuation funds.
Concerns have been raised that the strike would seriously affect the students. But the NASA said in a statement yesterday they will supervise students to do their exams and collect their papers, but would not mark them unless their demands are met. NASA members will not teach and would not undertake any administrative functions. The University council and administration tried to obtain court orders to stop the strike yesterday, but the court deferred dealing with the matter.
Unitech NASA president Michael Hasagama said their action is the result of “mismanagement of the University’s affairs”. “Gross misappropriation of funds and resources and the mismanagement of the general affairs of the university has contributed to the deterioration of infrastructures, under-resourcing of academic programs and students’ support,” Mr Hasagama said. He said NASA intends to take court action against the university for delaying the implementation of UPNG 2001 Salary Agreement, which the NASA says their members are also entitled to.
He said other issues were the non-transfer of funds from the Unitech NASA Superannuation Fund to NASFUND and absence of funds in members' accounts with the Unitech Savings and Loans, despite fortnightly deductions. Mr Hasagama said the problems the national staff members faced have resulted in a number of them leaving. Attempts to get comments from Acting Vice Chancellor Wilson Tovirika were unsuccessful yesterday."