[UPDATED] WIGUT seeks guidance from UWI lecturers after Government offers 6% salary increase

FOLLOWING protests and the withholding of students' exam scores, government has increased its wage offer to UWI lecturers.

In a press release on January 30, the Finance Ministry said it will now offer a six per cent increase for the six-year period August 2014-July 2020.

The new offer, the ministry said, will cost $23 million a year in additional recurrent costs for UWI and result in back pay of $165 million, which government has agreed to pay on UWI’s behalf.

This latest development follows several protests by members of the West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT) which included withholding 20,000 exam marks from students at the beginning of this semester.

The offered increase comes just ahead of WIGUT’s planned week-long shutdown of the university’s St Augustine campus.

In 2023, the offer of a four per cent increase was made, which included a two per cent increase for the period 2014-2016 and the same for 2017-2019. At the time, WIGUT said it would only accept a salary increase of ten per cent or more.

WIGUT president Indira Rampersad declined to comment on the government’s enhanced salary increase offer, saying she would meet with her members on February 3, to discuss it.

That day is meant to be the start of “Blackout Week,” which is expected to see a complete shutdown of all system operations at the St Augustine campus, according to a letter, Rampersad sent to Newsday, which was addressed to WIGUT members.

Today, January 31, is also meant to be the last day of “Whitewash Week,” when WIGUT encouraged its members not to answer e-mails and calls to their desk phones as part of rest and reflection.

In a WhatsApp message Rampersad said the continuation of planned protest action “will depend on membership.”

Newsday also spoke via WhatsApp to several UWI students, who were willing to comment anonymously.

They said they were hopeful that the increase would put an end to the withholding of grades and other planned protest actions.

One criminology student said, “I did get all my grades, but I have friends who are still waiting on some of theirs. Up to now they can’t apply for GATE (Government Assistance for Tuition Expenses) and do other things that require a proper transcript.

“But I hope the offer will give the teachers something to work with so students can finally get back on track because is almost February and it’s been real stressful so far,” the criminology student said.

An economics student who is in his second year congratulated the union on the enhanced offer.

“I’m happy for them. A lot of them have been frustrated for a long time and it’s good they are getting something. I’m not sure how happy they would be with six per cent, but it better than two, and it better than nothing.

“I just want all of this to end so things can go back to normal on campus and they don’t actually shut down the school.”

Newsday made three calls on Thursday to UWI Principal Prof Rose-Marie Belle Antoine to get her thoughts on the enhanced salary increase offer, but all calls went unanswered.

This story has been updated to include additional information. Please see the original story below with the headline, 'New 6% wage increase offer for UWI.' 

THE government has increased its wage-increase offer to UWI lecturers.

In a press release on January 30, the Finance Ministry said it will now offer a six per cent increase for the six-year period August 2014-July 2020.

The new offer will cost $23 million a year in additional recurrent costs for UWI and result in back pay of $165 million, which the government has agreed to pay on UWI’s behalf, the release said.

This follows protests by the West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT) which included withholding 20,000 exam marks from students at the beginning of the semester.