UG VC says classes will resume today

…while talks with unions continue

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Jacob Opadeyi says that while negotiations with the UG Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and the UG Workers’ Union (UGWU) are ongoing classes will resume today due to the contractual agreements signed by staff.

In a release sent to both staff and students yesterday, Opadeyi stated that it is expected that all “lecturers and services will be in full operations mode according to contractual agreements signed with staff.”

The statement further said that he will be meeting with students to update them on the current industrial climate. All students are invited to meet with the Vice Chancellor at 10m today in the G.W.L.T (Large Lecture Theatre) for an update on the current industrial climate at the University.

When contacted last evening, Opadeyi declared that the university and lecturers have an obligation to the student to teach. “It’s their business if they don’t want to teach they don’t have to teach,” he said of the current staff complement participating in the ongoing sit-in strike over wages and other issues.

When pressed on the gulf between his statement and the sentiments by the two unions, Opadeyi just stated that negotiations were still ongoing.

Head of the UGSSA, Mellisa Ifill when contacted yesterday briefly stated that the unions were not contacted by the vice chancellor in relation to class resumption while the negotiations were ongoing.

Since January 26, staff represented by the two unions have participated in a sit-in strike while the student body has also showcased their support as well as aired their own grievances with the operations of the university. January 26 was to be the first day of the new semester.

The unions say they are still awaiting clarification from the University Council on the resumption of negotiations.

The Council convened a meeting on Friday to resolve the week-long industrial action, however since then there has been no official correspondence between the two sides.

The unions are maintaining that their members are prepared to return to their posts immediately once satisfactory responses are received and a favourable resumption of duties agreement has been decided upon.

Following Friday’s meeting the unions thanked the administration for the meeting and acknowledged the council’s decision to resume engagement with both unions. However, they said the decision was not yet formally communicated to the unions via a signed document. Rather, they said, the decision was issued in a press release.

The unions also questioned whether the negotiating team had secured a remit for a specific increase as well as if Vice Chancellor Opadeyi plans on withdrawing the workload policy document from council until consultations had been held.

Since 2012 the unions and the university have been negotiating wages.