WIGUT’S STAND CONFUSING

The decision by the West Indies Group of University Teachers’ (WIGUT) on Tuesday to resume industrial action at the St Augustine Campus arguing that Government’s proposal was for teaching staff only and should have embraced all members of its bargaining unit, is confusing and its action unacceptable. The resumption of the withdrawal of labour strategy by WIGUT means that once again students are being used as pawns by WIGUT. The fundamental difference this time around however, is that while students were inclined to be sympathetic to last week’s work stoppage those interviewed this week disapproved of the renewed action.

In addition they expressed concern about the (negative) impact the work stoppage would have on their examination. We had always understood through public statements made by WIGUT’s representative and by Tertiary Education Minister Colm Imbert expressing Government’s side, that WIGUT had been demanding parity of salaries for lecturers at the St Augustine Campus with those enjoyed by lecturers at the Cave Hill Campus, Barbados. WIGUT had in addition advanced that lecturers at the newly created University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) received substantially higher salaries than their counterparts at the St Augustine Campus.

It was an argument countered by Minister Imbert who contended that UTT’s lecturers did not receive the “multitudinous allowances” enjoyed by those at the St Augustine Campus. Imbert pointed out that with the tabled offer a relevant UWI lecturer’s package of some $22,000 a month would be superior to that of a UTT lecturer’s $20,000. This week the lecturers, following on a meeting with the Administrative’s negotiating team, rejected the offer of the upgrade - 15 percent over the three-year 2002 - 2005 period with an additional three percent regional allowance in the third year. Instead WIGUT demanded that the offer be “expanded to include all the members in the bargaining unit represented by WIGUT.”

Why did WIGUT not use this as the burden of its argument when it made its case to the taxpayers of Trinidad and Tobago who ultimately will have to pay for any and all increases reached between WIGUT and Government? WIGUT has failed, however, to make its position clear and should not pursue strategies which would adversely affect the future of students. Imbert has made it obvious that the Government of Trinidad and Tobago is anxious to have the impasse brought to an end, and a proposal has been sent to the Administration embracing all members of WIGUT’s bargaining unit “in the interest of peace.” Hopefully this will lead to students at the UWI St Augustine campus having the good fortune of an early resumption of classes and the uninterrupted services of their lecturers.