The unions representing academic and non-academic staff at the University of Guyana plan to continue sit-in strikes until further notice, after rejecting a proposal by Vice-Chancellor (VC) Jacob Opadeyi to resume negotiations and end industrial action.
In a joint statement, presidents of the UG Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and the UG Workers’ Union (UGWU) Mellissa Ifill and Bruce Haynes said a two-point proposal was sent to the unions by the VC. This proposal was an attempt to end the unions’ industrial action, which began on Monday.
They said the VC proposed to continue negotiations with the unions, with the UGWU leading the negotiations on behalf of both unions.
Further, he proposed, the negotiations will resume in two weeks, after UG’s administration received a remit from council, they said.
However, the unions rejected Opadeyi’s proposals and maintained that staff will remain engaged in industrial action until the UG Council meets and recommences negotiations with both unions. The unions also demanded that the remit be given to the VC and the UG Negotiating Team.
Ifill had previously indicated that the administration had been trying to separate the UGSSA and the UGWU. According to her, the proposal was a tactic to “divide and rule” the unions.
During an emergency meeting last week, the unions had contemplated recombining.
However, they had decided against this move and had instead resolved to negotiate on a united front.
According to the joint statement, the unions also anticipate a “positive response” to demands by this Friday.
Furthermore, the unions are maintaining their opposition towards a new workload policy and reiterated that it must be withdrawn and proper negotiations and consultations should follow.
“The unions are encouraged by the extensive support given by staff and urge that we continue to stand firm until our demands are addressed satisfactorily,” the unions said in a release.
The industrial action began on Monday—the start of the new semester—and saw staffers turning up to their posts on time but not performing their regular duties.
The student body also turned out on Monday to stage their own demonstration and voice their concerns on how the collapsed negotiations between the unions and the administration were affecting them.
The unions had proposed a number of demands, including a 60% increase across the board.
Since 2012, wage negotiations between the academic staff and the administration had been ongoing, leading to days of strike by lecturers and students alike before terms of resumption were brokered.
