Minister of Tertiary EducationFazal Karim announced a new agreement between the lecturers and managers of theUniversity of the West Indies (UWI)St. Augustine Campus.
Speaking in Parliament on January 23, Karim said the $87 million in backpay owed to the universitystaff would be paid in tranches by May 31.The backpay is owed for the period August 1, 2011 to July 31, 2014.
The West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT), the union representing university's academic, senior administrative and professional staff,said they wouldmake an official releaseon the matter on Monday, after they receive the offer in writingand discuss it with their executive.
WIGUT has been withholding students' Semester Onegrades,while the university's Student Guild Council has been leading student protestson Campus calling for the release of the grades.
Academic andnon-academic staff forced their wayinto the office of Campus Principal Prof. Clement Sankat on January 22, and called for an impromptu meeting with the principal. WIGUT President Dr Russell Ramsewak, who led that protest,saidthat If lecturers didnot receive their $87 million by January 30,they would take further action against the university.
After a heated exchange outside his office, Sankat eventually agreed tomeetwith the WIGUTteam inside, behind closed doors.Sankat subsequentlytold reporters that Government owed UWI $200 million for Government Assisted Tertiary Education (GATE) subsidies.
OWTU still in talks
Non-academic staff, who are represented by the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU),are also in negotiationswith the campus administration. A negotiating team, led by OWTU's UWI Branch President Sherbert McKie, held hour-longtalks with campus administration, at the Main Administration Building from about 11 am on January 23.