A crisis between the University of Guyana and the two unions representing academic and non-academic staff deepened yesterday with the Vice-Chancellor Jacob Opadeyi withdrawing a wage increase offer and asserting that there would be no negotiations under duress.
A sit-in strike started on January 26, 2015, the day the new semester was to commence and talks between the two sides have borne no fruit.
Opadeyi has called on the unions to resume work while wage talks continue but the UGWU and UGSSA have asked for certain assurances before ending their strike action.
UG students have also joined the workers’ protest calling for better conditions on campus.
Opadeyi’s letter to the unions dated February 5th, 2015 follows:
Dr. Mellissa Ifill, President UGSSA Mr. Bruce Haynes, President UGWU University of Guyana
Dear Dr. Ifill and Mr. Hyanes,
The University Administration is dismayed at your Unions action of proceeding and continuing with industrial actions without using all available avenues under the labour regulations to ensure that salary and benefits negotiations takes place without any form industrial unrest. Even, as you have claimed in the past that negotiation has broken down, there are recourses open to you under the law regulations for reconciliation measures.
When we met at the negotiation meeting of February 4th, 2015, we were under the impression that the industrial actions have ended and we are back to normalcy. At the meeting we made certain offers that were rejected, according to your email of February 4th, 2015, without any due analysis on the reasons for their rejection. We also read reports that the strike actions will continue despite that we are in negotiation.
As a result of these, we have withdrawn the offer. We cannot negotiate under the atmosphere of industrial actions.
We want our students to return for classes as we address their concerns with high degree of urgency.
We wish to restate our position very clearly: we will not be negotiating while Union members or group of workers are off the job or sit-in without doing work.
We are saddened by the inability of some of our lecturers who teach management and industrial relations to advise the Union leaders of the acceptable approaches under the law for seeking redress on a matter like this. The act of blocking the entrances of the University and debarring workers and visitors from conducting their business, as it happened on Monday February 2, 2015, is unlawful. The rights of workers to go to work and not to be restrained while going to work are protected under the law.
For the negotiation to continue all workers must be back to work and classes are to be conducted as scheduled. We urge the workers of the University to resume duty without delay so as to pave the way for a genuine negotiation aimed to address their concerns.
Sincerely,
Professor Jacob Opadeyi
