UG unions accuse Labour Ministry of failing to be an “impartial arbiter”

Feb 15, 2019 News

Moves to have the Ministry of Social Protection’s Labour Department intervene in yet another industrial standoff, have reached a point where allegations are being made that the designated arbiter is lacking the needed impartial trait.

UGWU President, Bruce Haynes

At least this is according to information shared by the University of Guyana [UG] Unions, – the University of Guyana Workers Union [UGWU] and the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association [UGSSA]. Similar sentiments were raised last year by the Guyana Teachers’ Union [GTU] during its standoff with the Ministry of Education when the latter called on the Labour Department to intervene.
In a joint statement issued by the two UG staff unions yesterday, reference was made to their attendance of a meeting Tuesday called by the Chief Labour Officer, Mr. Charles Ogle. The meeting, the unions said, was in response to a request by the UG administration.
Attending the meeting held at the Department of Labour’s Brickdam, Georgetown Office were the unions’ chairpersons [the Presidents of the unions] – Mr. Bruce Haynes [UGWU] and Dr. Jewel Thomas [UGSSA].
At the meeting, the representatives of the UG administration indicated that they wished to initiate the conciliation process. But, according to the union representatives, the meeting proved to be a most unfortunate experience for the union representatives.

UGSSA President, Dr. Jewel Thomas

“The officials of the Department of Labour did not appear to be the impartial arbiters they should have been in such a situation. The UGWU and UGSSA representatives were told that strike action is not a right action and that strike action in their [the Unions’] situation was impossible. They were also told that what had been allowed before would not be allowed again [the Unions took that to be a reference to their 2015 strike action] and that they could face disciplinary consequences for their role in leading industrial action,” the joint statement reads.
Moreover, the unions have concluded that “the behaviour manifested [during this recent] meeting was a grave disappointment.”
“We expect that officials of the Department of Labour will behave in a manner that is beyond reproach when intervening in disputes. Their conduct should be so unbiased that accusations of acting in favour of a particular political group would never arise. However, such threats will not cause us to deviate from our determined course,” the unions have

UG Vice Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith

asserted.
Despite the daunting development, the unions have joined forces insisting that they will not be bullied into submission.
In fact, the unions in sharing their game-plan stated that they intend to fight to the very end for the well-being and interests of their over 1,000 full-time and part-time staffers, and also for the well-being and interests of the over 7,000 students of the University.
“As employees, as taxpayers and as citizens, we need to know that the national resources being given to the University are being spent in a way that brings the greatest good to staff and students. We would like the questions we have answered by way of a forensic audit, that will help us to determine the true financial situation of the University,” said the Unions in their joint statement.
This development comes on the heels of protest action agitated by the unions earlier this week which saw calls being made for a forensic audit into the financials of the tertiary institution.

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