FLASHBACK: Workers started taking action with a lunch break picketing exercise.

Industrial action at the University of Guyana (UG) Turkeyen campus has escalated with faculty and administrative workers proceeding on sickout Tuesday, two days after their unions’ bargaining rights were called into question.

In a letter to the media at the weekend Pro-Chancellor Dr. Prem Misir stated that there is no evidence that the UG Workers Union (UGWU) and the UG Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) are recognized as bargaining units under Part III of the Trade Union Recognition Act 1997 and that there is no collective bargaining agreement with the union.

Workers and lecturers, spearheaded by the two bodies, have engaged in picketing exercises and sit ins since the firing of political science lecturer Freddie Kissoon last month but the scope of their concerns has widened to include perceived shortcomings at the institution. Misir in his letter warned that such action could impact on employee remuneration.

UGSSA president Dr. Patsy Francis told Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) that the management on Monday indicated that it recognizes the workers right to take industrial but those who participate will lose pay.

“Further, the personnel department has sent out a letter to all staff indicating that they should inform the administration whether they are taking industrial action or not which is really in contravention of trade union practices and we reject that.

However, the staff took a decision yesterday that notwithstanding what Dr. Misir has said or what the personnel department has said or what anyone has said, that we will press on and take the pay cut if that becomes operable because our cause is just and we’re not going to back down,” Dr. Francis stated.

Among the issues the workers are protesting are the need for better salary and working conditions and an end to political interference in the running of the institution.  

At the time she was contacted Dr. Francis said they were still to check on the areas affected by the sickout but relayed that the campus was a “veritable ghost town.”

She added that the industrial could escalate further if their concerns are not resolved .

“If there’s no resolution to the impasse we will continue on the sick out and possibly move to a full scale strike if we cannot come to a resolution.

Dr. Francis noted that they were expected to go into talks with the university’s negotiating team through the Ministry of Labour Tuesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, the UG Students Society, which has been supporting the industrial action, has planned a student demonstration for Wednesday on the Turkeyen campus.