The University of Guyana Finance and General Purposes Committee, on Wednesday, November 14, 2018, unanimously approved the request of Vice-Chancellor Professor Ivelaw Griffith for salary increases at the rate of 3% for all eligible UA staff and 4% for all eligible UB staff, retroactive to January 1, 2018. These increases will be paid to staff members of the University of Guyana by Thursday, December 20, 2018. Considering the increases granted for 2017, this makes the combined increase over two years 9% for UA staff and 12% for UB workers.

According to Vice-Chancellor Griffith, “although the 2018 negotiations with the unions never moved beyond differences over the agenda, I felt obliged to act on what we had planned all along to do; that is, to offer a salary increase for 2018.” He further emphasised that, “the Administration maintains the principled position that performance will be a factor in this exercise, and that no academic staff with outstanding grades will be granted the increase.”

As with previous salary increases, this salary adjustment requires finding money for the allowances that are pegged to salaries. For example, housing allowances are tied to salaries at the rate of 20 percent. Overall, the adjustment this year will cost the University G$ 81.34 million. The Vice-Chancellor noted that while the percentage increase is modest, it is guided by the principle of affordability; G$81.34 million is what the university can afford at this time. Additionally, the increase is granted knowing that there is an understandable expectation by staff members for some form of financial relief for the year.

In making the announcement of the salary increase, the Vice-Chancellor took the opportunity to thank all staffers— in Estates Management, the Faculties and SEBI, the Registry, Library, Bursary, Centre for Information Technology, Software Development, Personnel, Institute of Distance and Continuing Education, Safety and Security, Berbice Campus, and the Vice-Chancellery, which includes the offices of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor’s— for their dedicated service to students and the university community as a whole during the year. He highlighted the University’s 52nd Convocation held on Saturday, November 10, where 1,739 students graduated, as evidence of truly talented and caring members of the university family who go beyond the call of duty in their various units.

###

UG IN BRIEF

With a current enrollment of some 8,000 students, The University of Guyana (UG) has graduated more than 20,000 students who have gone on to successful careers locally, regionally and internationally. The University is also a major contributor to the national economy and to business and industry. Established in 1963 on a part-time basis with shared space at Queens College, UG moved to its own campus at Turkeyen in 1970 and expanded in 2000 with the addition of the Tain Campus. It now offers more than 116 Under-graduate and Post-graduate Programmes including the Natural Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Forestry, Urban Planning and Management, Tourism Studies, Education, Creative Arts, Economics, Law, Medicine, Optometry and Nursing. Several online programmes are available and The UG also offers extra-mural classes at four locations through its Institute of Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE). The UG also offers the opportunity for student engagement in debating, sports, and cultural, religious and professional activities.