Baksh indicates solution expected by month end
PART time lecturers at the Government Technical Institute (GTI) remained on strike yesterday and Education Minister Shaik Baksh said a resolution of their issue

should be expected this month end.

“We need time. We have to look at affordability and cost of raising the rate of pay for them,” he said.

Baksh said efforts might also be made to rationalise part time and full time programmes at the institution but, until then, he reiterated the need to properly address the situation.

He said he is in contact with GTI Principal, Mr. Chinedu Onwuzirike and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Major General (ret’d) Norman McLean, in quest of a collaborative resolution.

However, both students and teachers are growing impatient and reports said the former are planning a protest on Monday if their problem is not resolved.

President of GTI Staff Association, Ms. Delphine Baker, in an invited comment, said the part time lecturers will withdraw their services until something more substantial is done.

She said, of the 64 in number, 63 are no longer on the job.

“This is affecting the students because they are left unattended,” Baker said.

She added that the problem surfaced nine years ago, the last time part time lecturers were given a pay increase.

“Nine years ago, part time staffers were claiming $360 per hour and it was raised by $140, making it $500 per hour. From then to now, there have been no increases and an increase is needed,” Baker contended.

She said, last year, a proposal was taken to the Principal but, after he hesitated to make a representation, the matter was raised with the Ministry of Education.

“The proposal was that non-graduate part time staffers be paid $1,000 per hour while the graduate and masters level part time lecturers were to get $1,200 and $1,800 respectively,” Baker said.

She pointed out that the proposition was sent with a deadline for October 2009, which was not met and, from September to December, no part time staff was paid.

“We were not paid until January this year,” she disclosed, after they gavethe Minister a 72 hours ultimatum, that ended on January 26.

There was no response and the complainants gave the Minister until January 29, after which the part time lecturers became agitated, Baker reported.

She said they were agitated since Friday and, when Monday passed and they did not hear anything, they demanded answers at a meeting with the Staff Associations and, asd she did not have any, the decision was taken to strike.

Baker said both the Principal and the Board Chairman were informed of the intention decision and a meeting is scheduled with the latter for Monday, although they are unsure what to expect from it.