UG unions threaten strike action

Last Updated on Monday, 16 March 2015, 15:32 by GxMedia

The unions representing workers at the University of Guyana are threatening to call another strike if negotiations with the administration turn out to be a sham and if all salaries for March including the 10 percent interim pay-hike are not paid by Thursday, March 19, 2015.

Following is an update dispatched to workers by the President of the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA), Dr. Mellissa Ifill and the President of the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU), Bruce Haynes.

Dear Colleagues,
Please accept our apologies for sending this update late. Please be advised that at a meeting held on March 13, 2015, Union members agreed to the following:
1. . To resist all attempts to impose ‘work-back-times’ that have been determined without agreement from the Unions and that the backlog to ‘work back’ must be connected to the strike period. The Unions have a commitment from the Personnel Division that this clause in the TOR agreement will be honoured and we will not tolerate any deviations.
2. Any monies deducted from February salaries must be paid in our March salaries.
3. All March 2015 salaries must be paid, including the 10%, by the usual University pay day (Thursday March 19). Retroactive 10% increase payments for the months of January and February are also to be paid in by March 19. Failure to honour nos 2 and 3 would constitute yet another violation of the TOR Agreement signed, and strong and immediate strike action will be taken.
4. . That notwithstanding (a) the unproductive nature of the first negotiation meeting following our resumption of duties and, (b) the Administration’s blunt refusal to meet any of our demands a display of disrespect for staff, bad faith, and a further violation of the Terms of Resumption Agreement , the Unions negotiators would give the negotiations process one more opportunity and attend another negotiations meeting. If the second meeting produces similar intractable attitudes from the UG Negotiating Team, that the Unions will withdraw from the process and staff will re-engage in various forms of industrial action to highlight our grievances with the process.
5. That the Unions will launch a PR campaign to fully expose both locally and internationally the various violations of the TOR agreement by the UG’s Senior Administration.
6. That a petition to be launched calling for the resignation/dismissal of the VC and his senior administrative group led by a group of academics will be fully supported by the Unions in light of poor management of the University and the extremely bad faith demonstrated thus far following our return to work.
Best,
Mellissa & Bruce