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The outcome of a meeting with President David Granger yesterday has left the Unions of the University of Guyana feeling very encouraged.Yesterday, President Granger met with representatives of the University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) at the Ministry of the Presidency.The meeting in sessions yesterday.The meeting was attended by UGSSA President, Dr. Melissa Ifill; immediate past president, Dr. Pat Francis and UGWU President,Cheap Soccer Jerseys China, Mr. Bruce Haynes and UGWU executive member,Cheap Soccer Jerseys Authentic, Mr. Thomas Singh.Following the meeting yesterday, Dr. Ifill disclosed that the meeting is in fact a follow up on discussions she had with President Granger since he was in the Opposition.“Our engagement with the President did not start at this point; it started way back in 2011 when he was Leader of the Opposition. We have approached him on issues of concern to the University, regarding governance, remunerations, salaries and other basic conditions at the University that staff members have to endure,” Dr. Ifill said.While not divulging much on the discussion, Dr. Ifill said her team is encouraged by the President’s commitment to the University,Soccer Jerseys From China, and its staff.“We are to submit a number of proposals to him and we will do so immediately. We expect, coming out of the submission of these proposals, that we would have some good fruit,Cheap Soccer Jerseys Wholesale, we are encouraged,” she said.Haynes too expressed confidence that fruitful results would soon stem from the meeting.Earlier this year the unions had staged protest actions to emphasise a series of concerns at the university.In a joint statement soon after the coalesced A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change Government was elected to office the Unions said that they welcome the unreserved commitment to the University of Guyana by the new Minister of Education, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine.Dr. Roopnaraine, during an interview with this publication,Soccer Jerseys China, acknowledged that the University’s subvention has not been nearly enough to ensure an improved operation, and he committed to transforming the tertiary institution within five years.“As Dr. Roopnaraine accurately surmises, the University has been starved of finance critically needed to maintain its physical plant and ensure the availability of needed material supplies for effective instruction.We therefore expect that the verbal commitment enunciated by Dr. Roopnaraine will be matched by an adequate financial one,” the unions said in their statement.It was also highlighted that staff and students look forward to the day when classes will be held in well-equipped lecture rooms rather than “the ‘stables’, when snakes, horses,Cheap Soccer Jerseys, cows, stray dogs and other animals are not regular visitors to our walkways and environs and, when visits to faculty and university offices to get basic tasks completed are not met with apologetic shrugs because ‘there is no ink, paper, white board markers, ’ or ‘the printer, photocopier isn’t working’”.In addition to the funding crisis, the Unions said that they were urging the Minister to simultaneously address an equally critical problem, namely the governance crisis at the University.Grave deficiencies, it was noted, currently exist at two levels – the University Council and Administrative/Management. |
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