Dr. Melissa Ifill

Unions representing University of Guyana workers have formally asked Labour Minister, Dr. Nanda Kishore Gopaul to take the dismissal of several lecturers to arbitration, saying that it sets an awful precedent for sending home workers.

They are dissatisfied with the way the Chief Labour Officer, Charles Ogle has handled the matter at the Conciliation stage. Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com) has been told that Ogle has thrown out the matter on grounds that there is no Collective Labour Agreement between the unions and the University of Guyana (UG).

Representing the workers are the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) and University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA).

UGSSA Vice Chairman, Melissa Ifill told DemWaves that so far the unions have not received a response from the Labour Minister, even as the workers’ representatives remain dissatisfied with the results of the Conciliation process.

“We were extremely dissatisfied and displeased with the outcome of that meeting. It appeared to us that Mr. Ogle had taken it upon himself to assume the role of an arbitrator when he was really supposed to be conciliating the process,” she said.

Back in February of this year, the contracts of three lecturers were not cancelled. In the case of controversial newspaper columnist and Political Scientist, Freddie Kissoon, he was not offered re-employment.  Reasons cited are that he is a retiree and that there were question marks about performance.

“The dismissal of the lecturers directly threatens us all and we refuse to let this matter fly. Even though the semester, the (academic) year might have ended, we are still pressing ahead,” said Ifill.

 Touching on the lack of response by the Labour Minister to the unions’ request for arbitration, she bemoaned the way UG workers are being treated by authorities at various levels.

“Part of the grave dissatisfaction is that we feel as though at every level we have been dismissed  and disrespected,” she said. Her concerns in that regard came against the background of the unions’ claims that their efforts to engage Chancellor Professor Compton Bourne have fallen on deaf ears. This latest round of protest action has been also sparked off by the absence of government-appointed members of UG Council at negotiations for higher salaries and other benefits.

While rejecting suggestions that Terms of Resumption have been violated, UG’s administration has conceded that the salary negotiations have not been held because of a lack of a quorum. The administration said all parties have endeavoured to adhere to the Terms of Resumption and to work together.

The UG administration cautioned against rekindling “tensions” on Campus and urged that industrial action be a last resort.

“In the interest of cordial working relations, there are other means for the expression of any concerns the Unions have that may not renew tensions among the parties – Administration, Council, workers’ and student unions – and that will not detract from the collective efforts of achieving the desired objectives of improving the work and study conditions at the University,” UG said.