UWI: WIGUT's actions 'understandably frustrating' for students

THE administration of UWI's St Augustine campus says it has been making "every effort" to minimise the impact that protest actions by the West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT) are having on students.

In protest of stalled wage negotiations, WIGUT members have been refusing to sign and submit final exam papers to the examination section; refusing to upload students' coursework grades and only indicating whether they failed or passed; refusing to have office hours and responses to students and facilitators outside the classroom; and refusing to hold remedial classes.

The Guild of Students has since indicated it does not support the manner of protesting being done by WIGUT, especially after "operation blackout," which saw members refusing to teach.

In a press release on Wednesday, UWI said WIGUT's "escalated actions are understandably frustrating for them (students).

"The latest Operation Blackout entails complete inaction – this means that WIGUT’s action has, therefore, extended beyond the classrooms, tutorials, upload of the results of course work assessments to other campus operational areas such as no innovation and grant initiatives, entrepreneurial activities and systems support."

It said salary negotiations are ongoing with the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) Dr Daryl Dindial.

"Campus management has shared with all staff that it is awaiting word on the remits to enable the process to go forward and notes that there have been ongoing discussions with the CPO to secure these remits. Management will continue to engage with unions and provide updates to staff as they become available."

It said UWI's management team is "cognisant of the anxiety surrounding the need for the settlement of these negotiations and hopes that this process can proceed in a productive manner to a speedy conclusion."

The last update UWI got from the CPO is that within four-six weeks he will take the file to an interministerial team.

Dindial confirmed to Newsday that discussions are ongoing but that he could not disclose further details.