The University of Guyana (UG) unions participating in ‘Operation Rescue UG’ have ruled out taking any industrial action while consulting with the UG administration about an increase in salaries and on the ongoing problems they have been faced with.
“With respect to salaries and benefits, those matters are coming up for discussion at the meeting which is set for June 18, with the negotiation team and administration. They need to change the way they see people and value people,” President of the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) Dr. Patsy Francis said yesterday at a general meeting held at the Turkeyen Campus.
Just last week, Francis made calls for new action after it was reported that workers are operating under the same conditions that they had protested earlier this year. The UGSSA, the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) and the University of Guyana Student Society (UGSS) launched ‘Operation Rescue UG’ and were involved in several forms of industrial action to press for improvement. Minister of Labour Dr Nanda Gopaul subsequently called a meeting with the members of the unions and terms for resumption were brokered.
Additionally, Pro Chancellor Dr Prem Misir had indicated to Francis via e-mail that several plans were put in place to improve the UG facilities and classrooms. To date, only the roof of the George Walcott Lecture Theatre has been repaired.
Stabroek News yesterday spoke to Francis who relayed that the administration has acknowledged that they have breached the agreement. She further stated that a meeting has now been set to re-examine these issues and UGSSA is currently preparing proposals.
She explained that they have withdrawn their intention to stage a picket in light of the ongoing consultations. “The reason why we can’t picket is because when you’re talking—and if they have agreed to talk to you—you can’t go and picket because that shows you have bad faith and we like to show that we are walking the moral high ground,” Francis said.
During the forum with workers, Francis had stated that during a recent meeting with the administration, she was told that work to the physical infrastructure of the campus has come to a halt due to financial difficulty being experienced by the contractor.
