UG Vice Chancellor reacts to accusations of poor management

Mar 18, 2015 News

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– says he is responsible for reduced deficit

Not only is Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG), Professor Jacob Opadeyi, denying that the University’s Administration has breached a Terms of Resumption (TOR) Agreement it signed about two weeks ago with the institution’s workers’ unions, but he has debunked accusations that he has been a poor manager.

The Unions – the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) – have together amplified the workers’ concerns regarding what they have termed several violations of the TOR which was signed in order to bring an end to strike action at the tertiary institution.
Workers had engaged industrial action, which lasted for five weeks, in reaction to a breakdown of negotiations for improved salary and other benefits between the Unions and the University’s Negotiating Team. The unions have since registered a number of concerns, since the workers’ returned to work, which in essence encapsulate a breach of the TOR agreement.
The Vice Chancellor has since issued a statement insisting that the Unions’ account is in fact not entirely accurate.
In commenting on the accusations of the Unions – including a call for his resignation/dismissal,
Professor Opadeyi said, “last time I checked we still have freedom of speech and freedom of expression…” He, however, in responding to comments on his poor management ability, made it clear that his efforts were in fact instrumental in reducing a deficit at the University.
“How can I be a poor manager if I have reduced a deficit that I met which was over $800,000 and up to December of last year we have been able to attract $800 million to clear off all of our deficit,” the Vice Chancellor asserted.
The millions of dollars he claimed will be forthcoming from Government.
“Up to today, if we owe GRA (Guyana Revenue Authority), NIS (National Insurance Scheme), we are now only owing them for January and February,” Professor Opadeyi boasted.
The Vice Chancellor nevertheless continued his commentary by vocalising his satisfaction with the resumption of work, even as he pointed out that anything that is not done properly “we will deal with it on a one-by-one case basis. But as far as I am concerned we are back to normal.”
The Unions headed by Dr Mellissa Ifill (UGSSA) and Mr Bruce Haynes (UGWU) are threatening to continue strike action if favourable outcomes are not derived from continued negotiations.
But according to Professor Opadeyi, while he is not at all concerned about the Unions venting their concerns, he is in fact worried by the style being embraced.
“It is poor style for anybody to be doing salary negotiations in the newspaper, because those are things you do within the confines of your organisation, but we are not going to follow their steps by disclosing things that are meant for bilateral negotiations with the parties. But if they want to freely express themselves, then we have no problem with that, but we are not going to be jumping at everything they say to say it is not true,” the Vice Chancellor said.
However, he noted that while the Administration recognises the Unions’ right to speak out, he was taken aback by complaints from the Unions about him not attending negotiating meetings. According to him, based on the Agreement signed with the Unions, a meeting should have been called within seven working days after the resumption of work.
The Vice Chancellor said he was not able to attend that meeting since he had a prior meeting that was booked since in January. In order to fulfil the TOR, he noted that the meeting had to have been held without his presence.
“If I was to set the meeting for a time when I was available then it wouldn’t have been within seven days…it would have been much later than seven days,” said the Vice Chancellor, who also sought to make clear that he is not the Chairman of the Negotiating Team, but rather merely a member.
“The rest of the members attended that meeting, so I’m thinking that they (the Unions) are looking for reasons to complain.”
Meanwhile, the Vice Chancellor’s reaction to threats by the Unions to continue strike action if the Administration “continues to violate the TOR”, was “I am not worried about it. Everybody has to do what they have to do. It is the right of the Unions to ask for increased salaries, it is their right to protest, it is their right to use everything under the law to demand for their rights.”
But even in the face of industrial action threats and even with his disclosure of financial support from Government, the Vice Chancellor also noted yesterday that the University may still not be in a position to offer more than a 10 per cent increase to workers.
He went on to explain that such a process “is not an easy matter” adding that “you have to look at your income and expenditure. Right now there is no Parliament in session, so you can’t even say that I can give them this. We still have to wait on the Government…we are still a State University and that is what people don’t understand.”
“Any increase that we offer has to be approved by Government. If we were private sector it would be different, so we have to be very prudent in the increase that we give because we don’t want the University to get back to the days of deficit.”
According to the Vice Chancellor, deficit was created in the past because all University funds were understandably channelled to salaries first, and that resulted in not enough being available for the procurement of simple resources such as papers and ink.
“Right now we have money for supplies…in the last six months we have (purchased) 200 brand new computers. So I am not going to be reckless and commit future money that we don’t have and then we start struggling to meet our commitment,” the Vice Chancellor stated.
He said that currently the University can meet its utility costs in addition to a 10 per cent increase for workers. This is despite an increase in tuition fees last year which, according to Professor Opadeyi, was so minimal that it cannot even meet the costs for salaries.
“The staff is asking for 50 per cent (increase) (but) tuition (fees) alone cannot pay salaries so that is our position…” he intimated.

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