Stalemate over UG pay hike continues
Jewel Thomas and Bruce Haynes on Friday following a meeting with employees of UG.
Jewel Thomas and Bruce Haynes on Friday following a meeting with employees of UG.

THE University of Guyana (UG) Workers Union (UGWU) and the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) on Friday said employees are fed up and want an end to the stalemate between the UG administration and the unions with regards to the wages/salaries increase matter.

President of the UGSSA, Jewel Thomas said they have been trying to reach an agreement on wages/salaries 2017 with the UG Turkeyen Campus administration with talks commencing since July 10. Thomas said they had a series of meetings but since the end of August around that point of time the dialogue ceased.

She related that at the time the administration said they were making their final offer of 6% and 8% for two different categories of staff and they asked for clarifications around that offer that was made. They wanted to know the breakdown, that is, how much it is going to cost for the different categories of staff.

“We have asked for this information before for the very first time and it was given to us in the context of UG budget for this year.” Thomas added that they could not involve the senior staff in the negotiations. They are not on the pay scale as regular staffers who are higher and it is not known to them since they negotiated their salary when they were hired and the council approved same.

She stated that at present they are trying to sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the pay-out of the 6% and 8% and it is only fitting that they know the cost of that, since there are some things written in the contract that they do not agree to on two clauses.

Thomas told the Guyana Chronicle that Vice Chancellor, Dr Ivelaw Griffith has indicated that he will not sign anything that will make them reveal how much the pay-out is costing, so at present everything is at a standstill because he refuses to say how much it will cost overall. She related that they were determined to pay themselves even though they got a massive increase of 55% and they want to benefit from yet another increase.

Thomas said a meeting with the executives is on the cards to decide on the way forward because the staff is very frustrated and want action since they have been waiting since February. She pointed out that they need to ensure there is movement from the current stalemate, noting that 753 employees of UG are waiting for their wages/salaries increase.

Thomas said, “We have no council, logical body to appeal to, it was dissolved in July 12 and the Ministry of Education is refusing to answer the question when it is going to be formed.”

Meanwhile, Bruce Haynes, President of UG Workers Union said there has to be a breakdown so they will get an idea how much it will cost overall and all of that is supposed to be there before they sign-on to that agreement. Professor Griffith could not be reached for a comment on Friday.

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