UG Unions reject imposed salary increases

The trade unions representing University of Guyana workers announced on Monday that they have rejected the imposed salary increases announced by that institution for 2018, as they deem the entire situation “deeply disrespectful”.
According to the unions, “not only are the imposed increases a violation of good labour relations practices, but some might say that arrogance and hypocrisy are displayed in this action.”
UG Vice Chancellor Professor Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith had, in October, asked to be awarded his second bonus of the year (the first one, for 2016-2017, was awarded earlier in the year). With the assistance of the Chancellor, Professor Nigel Harris, he was awarded that bonus at the Annual Business Meeting of the University on November 8.
“Affordability was never an issue when his bonus was under consideration. Now staff are being asked to accept a minuscule unilateral increase on the ground of affordability,” the unions have underscored.
The unions have said they had attempted to negotiate this year’s salary increases with the university administration since January 2018, when they first wrote to the Vice Chancellor to request the start of negotiations. The agenda for the negotiations could not be agreed because the administration refused to let the unions’ agenda items be discussed first, and to delay other matters until a promised transformation had occurred at the University.
According to the Unions, their number one agenda item was ‘wages and salaries for 2018’. They claim it is disingenuous for the Vice Chancellor to claim “he has been forced to ask for the unilateral increase because he could not get the administration to agree to discuss these matters.”
The UG administration has refused to negotiate wages and salaries with the unions, as they failed to attend a conciliation meeting which was scheduled by the Department of Labour.