The two University of Guyana unions yesterday rejected the imposed increases announced by the University for 2018.
In a statement, the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) and the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) said that the entire situation is “deeply disrespectful”.
They said that not only are the imposed increases a violation of good labour relations practices but some might say that arrogance and hypocrisy are displayed.
“In October, the Vice Chancellor asked for the award of his second bonus of the year (the first one was awarded earlier in the year for 2016-2017). With the assistance of the Chancellor he was finally given that bonus at the Annual Business Meeting of the University on Thursday 8th November 2018. He fought for his bonus while resisting an objective assessment of his performance.
“Affordability was never an issue when his bonus was under consideration. Now staff are being asked to accept a minuscule unilateral increase on the grounds of affordability.
“The University Unions have attempted to negotiate this year’s salary increases with the administration since 12th January 2018, when we first wrote to the Vice Chancellor to request the start of negotiations. The agenda for the negotiations could not be agreed because the administration refused to let the Unions’ agenda items be discussed first, and to delay other matters until a promised transformation had occurred at the University”, the unions charged in the statement.
The Unions’ number one agenda item was wages and salaries for 2018, they stated.
“It is disingenuous for the Vice Chancellor to claim that he has been forced to ask for the unilateral increase because he could not get us to agree to discuss these matters. The administration has refused to negotiate wages and salaries with the Unions, going so far as to fail to attend a conciliation meeting requested by the Unions. This meeting was scheduled by the Department of Labour for 25th October 2018, and the Unions showed up, but the administration never did.
“We are deeply disappointed that the Finance and General Purposes Committee of the University was a part of such an action against the staff of the University. Last year, when the administration refused to negotiate with the Unions, Council requested that they do so, and so negotiations began. “Now, by appearing to endorse the administration’s actions in not negotiating with the Unions, F&GPC (which exercises Council’ not only acquiesced in the violation of labour principles, but also violated the principles for the award of salary increases outlined by the Government of Guyana. The Coalition government has been clear that salary increases should be negotiated and not imposed, as has been the case in the past. The F&GPC has participated in a very retrograde step”, the unions charged.
They warned that the University’s staff will respond to this ”insulting development”.
