THE UWI Guild of Students, St Augustine, has urged its members not to boycott classes as the new semester begins on January 20, despite the ongoing protest by the West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT) and the withholding of over 20,000 grades.
However, Newsday understands some grades have been released by staff.
UWI staff salaries are primarily funded by contributions from regional governments, including TT, which cover the university's operational costs.
While UWI manages staff contracts and negotiates directly with unions, salary adjustments often require government approval or increased funding, as governments provide the institution's core financial support.
Unions negotiate salary increases with UWI management. UWI, in turn, consults with contributing governments to secure the necessary funds.
Josef Paty, president of the guild, told Newsday on January 18 that the guild wants to ensure students do not fall behind in their studies while negotiations between WIGUT and the university administration continue.
He said it was crucial students stay engaged academically.
"(The negotiations are) out of our control, so we are encouraging students to still go to their classes because teaching is ongoing,” he said, even though they would have been unable to register.
The two parties met on January 16 in what lecturer Dr Indira Rampersad, WIGUT president, described as an “extremely amicable” meeting.
However, Paty said it was unsuccessful. It is unclear how many students are affected.
“The goal was to leave that meeting with grades being uploaded to the system,” he said. “That, of course, did not happen. It was a very long meeting. We wanted to understand the issue at its core, why they’re doing what they’re doing; what’s the process and what’s causing the delay.
“While we appreciate that discussions are ongoing, it is imperative that students’ needs remain central to the process.”
Rampersad said protests would continue until the government responds appropriately.
WIGUT’s protest stems from a lack of salary increases for over ten years, reportedly making St Augustine campus staff among the lowest-paid across the four UWI campuses.
The union is seeking a total wage increase of 24 per cent over the period from 2014 to 2016, structured as eight per cent per year.
In November, Finance Minister Colm Imbert said WIGUT's request for a 24 per cent salary increase, with $701 million in back pay, was unsustainable as it would place a significant burden on taxpayers.
“I do not think it is prudent to impose a burden of $701 million on the taxpayers of T&T,” Imbert said in Parliament, noting that a four per cent increase for public servants had cost $79 million in back pay.
Imbert addressed the ongoing impasse between the government and WIGUT, led by Dr Indira Rampersad, in response to a query from Couva South MP Rudy Indarsingh. WIGUT rejected the government’s proposal of 0-0-2 per cent for the 2015-2017 period. The union subsequently held a "blackout Friday" protest, threatening a "c
