Imbert tries to resolve work-to-rule at UWI

SCIENCE, Technology and Tertiary Education Minister, Colm Imbert, is working assiduously to end the work-to-rule action taken by members of the West Indies Group of University Teachers (Wigut), and have negotiations for a new three-year collective agreement settled. Academic, professional and senior administrative staff at the St Augustine campus began work-to-rule action on Thursday. Imbert told Newsday yesterday that a careful approach had to be adopted in the matter, since a backpay was involved in the sum of $40 million, plus continuing costs to meet the new salaries for the next 12 months at a cost of $20 million. He reiterated negotiations were between WIGUT and the university, but the ministry had to get involved because it provided more than 75 percent of the funding to the campus.

“I intend to try my best to resolve the matter as quickly as possible, because I don’t see any point in dragging on the matter.” He said he was also trying to ascertain why the negotiations only began this year, rather than at the end of 2002. Imbert said he expected the Ministry of Finance to “give the all clear by next week in terms of how much money is available, and I expect detailed negotiations should resume next week.” He said the figure for the backpay and the continuing cost to meet the new obligations, that is new salaries, was not budgeted in the ministry’s subvention for this fiscal year, “so we have to examine how to fund it. That’s why the Ministry of Finance has to give the all clear on how to proceed.” Wigut’s action to work-to-rule followed a request by the ministry’s representative at the Inter-Ministerial Committee meeting on Monday for the atter to be deferred.

Wigut is asking for a 30 percent increase in salaries to cover the period August 1, 2002 to July 31, 2005 Wigut said its proposals to the university for the new agreement were made almost 16 months ago. The group said since that time, three meetings have been held and certain undertakings were given. That is, the ministry was provided with details for scrutiny and further consideration and approval by the Inter-Ministerial Committee. Wigut claims the ministry only made its proposals to the committee on October 18. The action could severely affect the end of semester exams in December, as all examination papers are to be submitted by November 10.  Wigut president, Vishnudat Singh, said he hopes the authorities would act quickly in order to avoid another disruption at the university, as lecturers are not attending faculty and other meetings to ensure the smooth operations of the campus.