– vow to continue strike until “decent offer” proposedFrom all indications an end to strike action at the University of Guyana (UG) is nowhere in sight. InUGSSA President,Dr Mellissa Ifillfact, the state of affairs might have escalated, with the Unions in a joint statement labeling recent utterances of the Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob Opadeyi, as “disingenuous.”The Vice Chancellor (VC) earlier this week, in calling for a return to normalcy at the University, after more than three weeks of strike action, disclosed that upon assuming his post more than a year ago, he hadn’t realized the magnitude of the daunting situation at the University.But the Unions – the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and the University of Guyana Workers’ Union (UGWU) led by Dr Mellissa Ifill and Mr Bruce Haynes respectively –lashed out at the disclosures which were detailed in a lengthy statement to the media.In affirming their position, the Unions said that “We first of all wish to say that the industrial action taken by the faculty and staff of the University has been triggered precisely by that ‘normalcy’ to which the VC invites us to return.”“The indecent wages and salaries we are paid, and the dismal and dysfunctional classroom and working environments comprise two aspects of the ‘normalcy’ that we reject. We continue to insist that staff must be treated with dignity and respect and that we must be paid living wages,” the Unions insisted.Moreover, Union heads have declared that strike action is poised to continue unless workers receive and endorse a “decent” offer – either final or interim. They have pointed out too that “While we empathize with the current suffering of our students, we wish to note that we have been suffering for decades. It is time to endUGWU President,Mr Bruce Haynesthe suffering of us all.”DISINGENUOUSThe Unions, in commenting directly to the remarks of the VC that he did not realize the state of the University until he was on the job for two weeks, said that they are certainly not surprised at the “many disingenuous remarks” in the VC’s press statement. The Unions pointed out that the VC had access to several reports and studies which had identified all of the deficiencies he detailed in his statement.Added to this,Cheap NFL Football Jerseys, it was highlighted by the Union that Professor Opadeyi had made at least two visits to Guyana prior to accepting the job, and his contract was negotiated directly with the Office of the President for a higher remuneration package than had been offered to his predecessor, Professor Lawrence Carrington.Moreover, the Unions are questioning “why the Vice Chancellor, who is a professor with a MBA, who was in secure employment and who was presumably experienced, did not interview his potential employers about what resources would be made available to succeed in the appointment”.“He was aware of the industrial action by staff and discontent of students in 2012. What did he negotiate to ensure success in his tenure? What potential strategies did he discuss to address institutional defects, personnel issues, and quality assurance?”TROUBLINGHaving been on the job for two years,Wholesale Jerseys USA, the Unions are asking for evidence of the type of dialogue that theUG Vice Chancellor, Professor Jacob OpadeyiVice Chancellor has had with staff and students that could lead to a collective response to the problems of the institution.“Where in the two years, is there evidence of the ‘respect’ from the VC for the staff?” questioned the Unions as efforts were made to emphasize that it was the same VC and the University Council that abruptly cancelled negotiations scheduled for January 15, last.The Unions are claiming, too, that it was the Vice Chancellor who sought to change the conditions of workers’ employment, without any consultation,cheap jerseys, with a new workload policy. They have also accused the VC of terminating the discussions that began on February 4, 2015,Cheap NFL Jerseys, by withdrawing his offer of a five per cent salary increase after Union membership rejected it because “it was so ridiculous and the faculty would have had to finance it by increasing our teaching load, as it was premised on a 50 per cent reduction in part time staff.”But even so, the Unions said that they have persisted in trying to get the negotiations back on track, even writing the Chief Labour Officer (CLO) and requesting the Ministry’s intervention. They have added that “On the heels of the CLO’s blunt refusal to act as mediator, the VC now writes not to the Unions, but to Jane Public, appealing for a return to a squalid and stingy normalcy at UG. The respectfulness of his approach and his appeal are encouraging indeed!”QUESTIONS FOR THE VCAccording to the Unions, everything they have heard from the Vice Chancellor, together with his actions, suggest that not only was he poorly prepared for the task at hand, but that he negotiated in furtherance of his self-interest and was assured support of the politicized Council for his dictates.“Now that his management of the University is under scrutiny, he is distancing himself from the problems while recycling solutions (as his own) that have been long proposed by many others; and shedding crocodile tears over the plight of staff and students, while he has been directly responsible for perpetuating rather than remedying the maladies,” the Unions asserted.And since the VC has adopted an approach of writing public missives, the Union said they will be following his lead and asking him some questions publicly.“Why is the Vice-Chancellor managing the University as his personal business? He has taken direct control of almost all academic appointments including deans, directors and heads of departments. He is micromanaging all departments and systems, including the Bursary and the Personnel Division, notwithstanding the appointment of competent individuals.“When will he learn that decentralisation and the empowerment of faculty and staff are far more effective, dollar for dollar, than his transaction-leadership-scientific management approach?”They are also pressing for the rationale behind the VC’s continued engagement “in the illegal practice of failing to remit our NIS, GRA and Credit Union payments to the relevant agencies after he alleged great fraud in the bursary in early 2014, and proposed and secured the termination of the contracts of the former chief accountant and the bursar?”“When is the VC going to replace the antiquated software which has been identified as penetrable in the Bursary? When will he cease his practice of ‘system override’, given that this is precisely what leads to poor financial management and even fraud? When are all the deficiencies in the financial and human resource management of the University going to be remedied?” the unions are questioning.Added to this, they are demanding to know what Professor Opadeyi has done to bring monies into the University, having sold himself, at the time of his interview, as the man who could attract finances to the UG.Even as reference was made to “the lucrative personal contract he secured from the IDB to digitize the land registry” the Unions asked “What finances has he managed to attract? What plan does he have to increase UG’s income through non-traditional sources, instead of relying only on brute-force cost-cutting as he does in his financial plan?”“If the University is so strapped for cash, why is the VC bloating his senior executive group? If the University has no money for salary increases, why does his 2015 budget propose an increase from $62.150 million to $97.916 million under the line item ‘executive’ emoluments and allowances?“If there are no monies for salary increases, why in addition to employing a VC to the tune of $3 million per month plus housing, entertainment, telephone allowances,NFL Jerseys China, driver, maid, gardener and security, did the University hire two new Deputy VCs at the cost of $800 000 per month plus similar benefits?”“When the salaries of the senior administrative group – including the bursar, personnel officer, registrar are compared to the salaries paid to more qualified academic staff, the inequities are stark and shameful. Indeed, while these individuals deserve the remuneration received, faculty and other staff also deserve decent salaries,” the Unions stated.But according to them, it is not too late for the VC,Cheap Jerseys Wholesale, since he can “redeem himself simply by demonstrating real concern, taking responsibility for the chaos that has developed under his watch, and stop passing the buck and turning the light on those who have the power and resources to make the difference”.
