UG students block Turkeyen campus entrance

Last Updated on Tuesday, 3 February 2015, 12:42 by GxMedia

University of Guyana students Tuesday morning blocked the gate to the Turkeyen Campus  to shut down operations there as part of efforts to press demands for improved teaching-learning conditions.

Security guards chained the gate to posts to prevent the students from locking them.

A Deputy Vice Chancellor entered the compound, escorted by a man brandishing a firearm although there is a sign at the gate that states “All firearms beyon this point must be lodged with security.”

The workers, who are on a now more than one-week old sit-in strike for a 60 percent wage and salary increase, have endorsed the action  by the students. A number of lecturers were seen nearby the human barricade in front of the gate.

Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi has said that the resumption of negotiations would have to take into consideration the poor performance of lecturers, a number of whom he said do not conduct any research and work few hours per week.

Students say they want better and more furniture, an up-to-date library, improved security, free Internet access, clean washrooms, better laboratories and modern classroom technologies.