The University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) and the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) UGSSA have announced that the strike action which shut down at the University of Guyana (UG) for the past week will continue today.The Unions say that this is as a result of the need for clarification on the proposals and decisions made at a recently convened Council meeting on the resumptions of wage negotiations.According to a statement released by Vice President of the UGSSA, Dr. Melissa Ifill, the Unions wrote the Vice Chancellor (VC), Professor Jaccob Opadeyi and expressed their thanks to the Administration and the Council for speedily convening a meeting in an effort to resolve the industrial dispute at the University.Demonstrators at a recent protest exercise on campusFollowing the meeting, the Council issued a statement that it “has instructed its negotiating team to resume its engagement with the UGWU and the UGSSA, without pre-conditions or undue delay”However, while the unions have also acknowledged Council’s decision to resume, ‘engagement’, they have noted that there is still need for clarifications on some issues.According to the statement, the Unions have advised the VC that the decision, which is yet to be formally communicated to them in a signed document, requires some clarification on the process of negotiations.In this regard, the Unions are seeking answers on whether the ‘engagement’ means negotiation and if the University negotiating team is prepared to negotiate with the UGSSA & UGWU without preconditions or undue delay and whether a date is set for the commencement/completion of negotiations.The Unions are also seeking explanations on whether the negotiating team secured a remit for a specific increase and whether the team is prepared to offer an interim agreement as contained in one of their demands. The bodies also want to know whether the Vice Chancellor will be withdrawing the workload policy document from Council until the consultation process is completed.The unions have indicated that they would be appreciative if these issues are clarified by 11:00 am today, prior to their scheduled lunch time meeting with staff.As such, the bodies will continue their ‘sit in’ until the meeting at 12:15 when they will decide on the way forward.“Finally,Cheap Jerseys Authentic, we would like to assure all students that we are prepared to return to our classrooms and offices immediately once satisfactory clarifications and responses to our queries are received and we have hammered out a favourable resumption of duties agreement,” the statement outlined.
