UG lecturers were back on the picket line yesterday and plan to ramp up their protest over conditions at the Turkeyen campus and the sacking of lecturer Freddie Kissoon with a sit-in beginning Tuesday.
Meanwhile, President of the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) Patsy Francis yesterday received a letter from Vice Chancellor Professor Lawrence Carrington stating that she should apologise to university council member Indra Chandarpal for “unbecoming behaviour.”
The letter was issued to Francis, one of the leading members of the Turkeyen campus protests after a confrontation with Chandarpal on Tuesday.
Francis told Stabroek News yesterday that she did not abuse Chandarpal in any way when she and others confronted her about the conditions on campus the previous day.
“We did not attack Mrs Chandarpal yesterday. We were just explaining to her what the situation is and we have nothing against her,” Francis reiterated.
She said that the letter from Carrington indicated that he has become aware that a group of persons led by herself and Kissoon forcibly entered the venue of the Appointments Committee during a luncheon recess.
“He understands that me and others abused Mrs Chandarpal and made impolite references to other council members that were not present. None of that occurred. He considers this behaviour unbecoming of me and my colleagues and damaging to the reputation and interest of the University of Guyana,” she read, adding that she was strongly advised to send a written apology to Chandarpal.
“He just decided that we are in the wrong; we, who have suffered all this time and he has not said anything on our behalf at any time. He has written us a letter saying that he will take some kind of action against us. We have to be determined to keep up this fight…. Nobody cares about our business other than us. Only we know that the toilets are stink. Only we know that the classrooms are leaking. Only we know that the ceilings falling in… rats on campus, dogs on campus, caimans on campus, snakes on campus!” Francis said, as she addressed those who had gathered to protest in front of the George Walcott Lecture Theatre.
Francis, in an interview with Stabroek News, pointed out that she has nothing against Chandarpal, while noting that she has been one of the persons on the council who has lobbied for several issues affecting the university to be addressed. “She as an individual, I have regards for Mrs Chandarpal, and she is not to feel intimidated by what we did because we are not against her, we are against the issues,” she stated.
She added that the ‘Operation Rescue UG,’ which is being spearheaded by the UGSSA, the University of Guyana Students Society (UGSS) and the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU), believes that Chandarpal and other council members are not aware of the circumstances under which they are forced to work and study. “They do not know what we suffer here on a daily basis, they do not know the conditions under which we work,” Francis emphasised.
‘Mischief’
Meanwhile, President of the UGSS Duane Edwards accused PPP/C university council members of lying after they said that no member of council present during the decision to rescind Kissoon’s contract supported his retention.
Chandarpal, Bibi Shadick, Nirmal Rekha and Gail Teixeira said in a joint statement on Tuesday that “not one single member of the 14 council members present at that meeting, including the [University of Guyana Students Society] and fellow colleagues of the academic staff,” supported Kissoon’s retention.
But Edwards disputed their account, saying “it is total lies and mischief.”
“Do not subject yourself to their poisonous and venomous lies. Know that whatever you see in the media, in the council, Freddie has strong representation but in spite of that representation, those council members came with set agenda, set, fixed and rigid agenda. They could not have slackened with their demand,” he said.
Plans are in place to maintain the strike action throughout the week and while Monday is a holiday, a sit-in will commence on Tuesday. “We needed to give the administration 72 hours notice of the sit-in so although they have said we are uncivil and so on, we have been showing the civility,” Francis told this newspaper.
She further stated that ‘Operation Rescue UG’ is fighting for fairness and transparency in the university and should not be considered as a personal dispute between any parties.
“We fighting for a principle, we are fighting for the people of Guyana whose children come here… what the council members don’t realize, they have reached into the future and have taken the future away from young people because when you get a poor education now, you will become an administrator down the line… you will be the people who will be running the country with a poor education. You know what that means? This country will never develop and that is the plan of the government. That is all I can come to. Have to fight against that, not Freddie. We are not fighting for Freddie as an individual; we are fighting for the principle,” she explained.
When asked how many lecturers have joined in this strike action, Francis was unable to say but pointed out there are few persons on the campus.
She agreed that the administration is responsible for the upkeep of the school but stated that without sufficient resources, they are left with their hands tied behind their backs.
Chandarpal, in defending the decisions of the council, told protestors on Tuesday that blame was unfairly being heaped on the government for the state of the university. “There is an administration here and their job is to look at those things that are difficult,” she argued.
When Stabroek News contacted the University of Guyana Public Relations Officer Paulette Paul, she too said that the maintenance of the university is the administration’s responsibility and reiterated that with inadequate funds, not much can be done.
“The maintenance would be based on the amount of money that is available. The government provides money but it is inadequate to meet the needs of the university, in terms of the physical repairs,” Paul said.
Invite to president
Meanwhile, Francis said the protesting groups have not yet received a response to letters which were sent to government officials for meetings on the situation, but noted that this is understandable since they were only sent on Monday last.
“We have to give persons a little bit more time to respond to us but we will try to be in contact with the various people, including President [Donald] Ramotar, because he needs to come to this campus and take a tour of this campus and see what it is he has inherited,” she said, adding that as a new president he should address such issues.
Francis called on President Ramotar to visit the University of Guyana and evaluate the conditions that are affecting them. “Even baby steps, the lecturers are willing to accept, because we know that you cannot overhaul this place in one day or even one year, but they need to start taking steps to correct the poor quality of everything,” she stated.
Francis noted that lecturers’ salaries also need to be addressed, arguing that it is a major factor in the resignations of quality lecturers. “Nobody can work for this money and survive,” she stated.
Meanwhile, the Alliance For Change at a press conference yesterday blamed the state of the university and the low staff morale on the PPP/C government. “The PPP/C ought to be ashamed that the University of Guyana, which began as the Dr. Cheddi Jagan’s night school, has been reduced to the state it is in today,” the AFC said.
It was noted that the UG Council is able to make and lay down regulations not only for itself but for any other authority body within the university.
“Placing this kind of power in the hands of political hacks committed not to national development but to party paramountcy has resulted in the sad state of affairs the university now finds itself in,” the party said, while calling for a comprehensive review of the UG council.
