One day after Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Ivelaw Griffith announced that the university’s Council would be moving to address the issue of staff salaries, staffers of the institution have taken to the protest line to vent their frustration over what they say is a delay in addressing the issue.
Backed by the University’s Senior Staff Association, the staff members called on the Institution’s administration to immediately commit to a date when these negotiations can commence.
A meeting is set for March 30th where the Council will discuss this issue among others but staffer want direct negotiations between the administration and their representative bodies to commence forthwith.
UGSSA President Jewel Thomas said the staff members organised the protest because the administration did not begin negotiations with them and refused to say when the negotiations would commence on wages and salaries for 2017.
She said workers have been asking for this negotiation since January and although there was a meeting in February they were told that it was not meant to be a negotiation.
The UGSSA also wrote the administration asking for date and for a percentage offer to be made but the administration responded and while it addressed other issues raised in the letter it refused to respond to the negotiations issue.
Ms. Thomas said she was personal disappointed with development where the administration is refusing to give workers what the government already allocated in the budget.
She said the administration seemed to be using the delay in paying the increase as a factor for increased tuition fees.
In a statement on Tuesday, Professor Griffith said there are hard realities to be faced and tough decisions that will have to be made in order to get the University to where it should be.
“If we don’t face it, we can’t fix it. I am in the business of facing and fixing. I have been here for only eight months and there is a lot of that to do. We have to keep focused on the work to benefit our students and our staff,” he said.