THE University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) and the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) have indicated their displeasure with the conciliation meeting convened by the Department of Labour.

The unions, alongside representatives of the UG administration, met with Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle, who had convened a conciliation meeting with the bodies in light of the impasse over negotiations of wages and salaries for 2018.

This meeting was held on February 12.

According to a release from the unions, the presidents of the university unions, Bruce Haynes (UGWU) and Dr Jewel Thomas (UGSSA), attended the meeting at the Department of Labour, within Ministry of Social Protection.

At the meeting, the University of Guyana’s administration indicated that they wished to initiate the conciliation process.

“This meeting proved to be a most unfortunate experience for the unions. The officials of the Department of Labour did not appear to be the impartial arbiters they should have been in such a situation,” the release noted.

The release recounted that the union representatives were told that strike action “is not a right” and that “strike action in their situation was impossible”.

The strike action referenced had begun on Monday outside the old vice-chancellor’s building at UG during the lunch period. There, members of the teaching staff called for a financial audit to be done at the institution, since they claim that funds are being misappropriated instead of being used to develop the teaching space.

The unions further indicated that they could face disciplinary consequences for their role in leading industrial action.

“The unions wish to state that the behaviour manifested in this meeting was a grave disappointment. We expect that officials of the Department of Labour will behave in a manner that is beyond reproach when intervening in disputes. Their conduct should be so unbiased that accusations of acting in favour of a particular political group would never arise,” the release said.

It added: “Such threats will not cause us to deviate from our determined course. What is at stake is the wellbeing and interests of over 1,000 full-time and part-time staff, and also the wellbeing and interests of the over 7,000 students of the university.”

Dr Thomas had recently shared with the Guyana Chronicle that the unions do not trust the authenticity of the financial documents that will be taken into the conciliation proceedings.

In November 2018, UG Finance and General Purposes Committee unanimously approved a last-minute request by the administration and imposed a three per cent salary increase for UA (academic) staff, and a four per cent increase for UB (support) staff, retroactive to January 1, 2018.

The increase was approved by UG’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ivelaw Griffith. The documents she spoke of were the university’s financial documents which showed that the university has no money to pay for further increases.

According to the release, “As employees, as taxpayers and as citizens, we need to know that the national resources being given to the university are being spent in a way that brings the greatest good to staff and students.”

The call for a forensic audit that will be used to determine the true financial situation of the university was also reiterated.