UG, workers union sign salary hike pact

The Administration of the University of Guyana (UG) and the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) yesterday signed a Memorandum of Agreement for a salary increase for the support staff at the university.

After extensive negotiations, a stalemate and brokering by Lincoln Lewis, President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress, the UGWU agreed to accept the UG Administration’s offer for a salary increase of 8 percent across the board for the support staff at UG classified as UB (full-time and part-time), according to a press release from UG. The offer was for the 2017 calendar year, retroactive to January, 2017, and the salary adjustments and retroactive payments will be made in the November 2017 payroll.

The UG press release said that the offer from the Administration was made in the context of what was affordable, in keeping with the mandate from the University Council and stressed the importance of performance. Vice-Chancellor Professor Ivelaw Griffith said that he was delighted that they were able to close that chapter and begin paying the increases.

“In terms of affordability, these increases are not our only financial obligations. We still have an average of 4.5 percent merit award to fund, as well as allowances for travelling, entertainment, uniforms, and academic materials. We also have to worry about study leave (salary and housing for three months), sabbatical leave (salary and housing for 12 months), leave passage, and duty allowances for Coordinators, Heads and Deans,” the Vice-Chancellor was quoted in the UG media release, as saying.

According to the UG press release, the signing took place at the Ministry of Social Protection, with Vice-Chancellor Griffith and Bruce Haynes, President of the UGWU, as the signatories, with Karen Van Sluytman, Deputy Labour Officer as the witness.