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UG unions call on Labour Department to intervene in salary ‘row’
Citing delaying tactics on the part of the University of Guyana [UG] administration, the university’s workers’ unions have called for the intervention of the Ministry of Social Protection’s Department of Labour.
In a joint statement issued yesterday, the unions – the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association [UGSSA] and the University of Guyana Workers Union [UGWU] – said that they have called on the Labour Department’s intervention because of what is being described “a series of delaying tactics seemingly designed to force the staff into acceptance of the imposed three percent and four percent salary increase for 2018.”
UGSSA President, Dr. Jewel Thomas
The unions headed by Dr. Jewel Thomas [UGSSA] and Mr. Bruce Haynes [UGWI] at a recent press conference rejected the salary increases the administration offered which translated to three percent for academic staff [UA] and four percent for support staff [UB] retroactive to January 1, 2018.
At a meeting on Tuesday the University staff rejected the attempt by the University administration to delay a meeting with the unions until Tuesday December 18, 2018.
The offer to the unions to meet to discuss 2018 negotiations was made on Friday November, 30, 2018 but in response to a request for clarification, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith, made it clear that the administration would have no time to meet with the unions before that date.
The unions, moreover, found it especially worrying when they learnt that the administration had already indicated via a memo to staff that it intends to pay the unilaterally imposed increase before the university closes. The University is set to close on Friday, December 21, 2018 for the Christmas break.
The unions revealed that on Tuesday, the University’s Registrar, Dr. Nigel Gravesande, who serves as Secretary to the University’s Council “finally circulated a proposed date of Thursday 20th December for the Council meeting to address the issue.”
The matter, according to the unions, had been referred to him by the University’s Pro Chancellor, Major General (retired), Joseph Singh, since November 19, 2018.
This means, the unions noted, that Council will not have an opportunity to deliberate the matter until the day before the University closes. “The discussion would also take place at a point where most likely the increase would already have been paid out to staff.
UGWU President, Mr. Bruce Haynes.
“It is also noteworthy that the time proposed for the Council’s meeting is 09:30 hrs,” the unions noted.
They also brought to the fore that “it has proven difficult for many Council members in the past few months to attend morning meetings in view of their work commitments.” Moreover, the unions are questioning whether the administration is actually attempting to secure the full participation of all Council members.
“The University administration has made it clear through its actions that it is attempting to force staff into accepting the imposed increase,” said the unions. They reiterated dissatisfaction with the moves by the administration to undermine its concerns.
As such they’ve categorically stated, “The University’s staff reject this attempt, and call on the Department of Labour to intervene before the situation deteriorates further.”
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