UG Workers protesting last week.

Students and staff associations of the University of Guyana have decided to shut down operations on Tuesday to press demands for improved conditions. 

“The only way that you can take effective action is by shutting the place down. If we don’t that, we cannot send out the message that don’t mess around with the stakeholders at this campus,” said President of the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU), Bruce Hayes.

Sparked off by the termination of Political Science Lecturer, Freddie Kissoon's contract and no offer of future employment at the institution, the UG organisations' have identified four pillars for their protest. They are the firing of competent lecturers and administrators; outdated, unsafe laboratory facilities, the unhygienic state of the Turkeyen Campus and political interference.

UG’s outgoing Vice Chancellor, Professor Lawrence Carrington last week told staff members that, against the background of Guyana’s post-independence development, the governance system- including politicians being Council members deciding the fate of academics- is archaic and must be revamped.

President of the University of Guyana Students Society (UGSS), Duane Edwards told a meeting of students and staff that at least 50 students are being directly affected by Kissoon's dismissal. "An act against one of us should be an act against all of us," he told the meeting held in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre.

At the same time, he used the opportunity to express concern about the "very" low participation by students in picketing demonstrations, marches and chants on campus.  "This is the only university where students are silent and apathetic with these conditions."

Against the background of low salaries and "run down" laboratory facilities, Edwards said UG's lecturers "do us a favour." "We must bring the necessary pressure to bear on those responsible," he added.  Edwards urged the students to display their "civil and moral responsibility" to address the "dire and deplorable" conditions.

In his remarks, the embattled Kissoon urged the young university students to demonstrate passion, purpose and rebellion. “We are closing this place down and we are asking for your purpose and passion,” he said to loud applause.

He warned that from Tuesday morning, there would be “drastic action against these people” but he did not provide details to address the problems facing the tertiary institution. “Right now, it is in your hands to change the university,” he said.

President of the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA), Pat Francis assured the staff and students that nothing would be done to put their lives at risk. She said that the standard and recognition of UG is falling because of its inability to recruit higher quality staff and run-down laboratories. “Right now, in the science labs, we are doing a lot of virtual experiments. When you graduate, what you think you will be- a virtual biologist,” she queried.

Francis recalled having “cut short” a higher paying contract in Barbados to be back.