Dear Editor,
NOW that the noise seems to be quelling from the University of Guyana, there are some things that are now being revealed. As a life student of management with a human resources bias, I cannot help but marvel at the UGSSA’s recent letter.

How is it that the members of that union remained silent for so many years without getting the opportunity to elect their leaders. I am surprised by Dr. Melissa Ifill and Dr. Jewel Thomas’ statement that their union was attempting to hold regular elections since 2011. The workers should not allow this. They must demand that elections be held immediately, and exercise the right to choose their leaders. Presently, there is no democracy in this union. It is difficult to say what Dr. Thomas is saying represents the voice of the staff. The UGSSA is now saying that their financial records are open for scrutiny. The public would like to know their statements of account for at least the last three years. We look forward to their making this available. The media are asked when the statements are submitted to publish them. It is poor industrial relations to have sent over 100 letters in two years to management and not take it to another level. This is public admission of incompetence and poor performance. The union cannot blame the vice-chancellor for this. If the union failed to get management’s attention, didn’t they think about going to the Labour Department? It seems more energy has been directed at management instead of acquaintance with the channels of getting those letters focused on.

I have family who are students at the university; they keep complaining about the lecturers not marking their papers on time. They would want to sign up for new courses, and are not even sure if they have successfully completed the present. Dr. Thomas can tell those students how the lecturers plan to correct this aspect of their performance. Students are attending classes to get a higher education at great cost and sacrifice. Many times they are not getting their money’s worth. UG lecturers’ performance should be under the microscope. If I were to do the evaluation, I would rate them poorly. The management of their union is in shambles. They seem ignorant of basic industrial relations practices. Important issues like workers’ benefits are not getting the deserving attention. The students continue to be negatively impacted by their poor performance.

Regards,
Dev Permaul