We are getting tired and fed up of this – UTASA president
Published:Tuesday | August 13, 2024 | 12:10 AMAsha Wilks/Gleaner Writer
The administrative, technical and axiliary staff of the University of Technology (UTech), Jamaica took their issues surrounding salary demands under the Government’s public sector compensation wage package to the feet of the throne on Monday.
In a spiritually centred meeting, held on campus yesterday with union members, a call for divine intervention was made for what they consider to be an ongoing and extremely frustrating situation.
Janette Grayson, president of the University of Technology Administrative Staff Association (UTASA), in her opening remarks, quoted scriptures from the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 3 and verse 6, which reads: “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake.”
She continued that the staff were “uncomfortable”, and that, without proper compensation, they could not afford to pay their bills.
“Who and who a raffle them bills inna dem bag like mi? Any two come up a dem one deh mi a pay. We have to be raffling our bills and it’s unacceptable,” Grayson said.
She stated that while the workers loved the university, they needed decent wages to “put on a pot”.
“Even the Bible tells us say we are to look after our neighbour as our self, not more than our self,” she added, noting that it was “grossly unfair” for the staff to be “giving their best”, while not receiving a proposal from the finance ministry.
“And you want for it to be business as usual and we fi have heart and compassion. It cannot work,” she said.
Grayson claimed that Monday morning was the first time that Dr Kevin Brown, president of UTech, had met with her to speak about the compensation review. She said that a proposal was promised by Dr Nigel Clarke, minister of finance and the public service, in March 2024.
“He stood at this podium, and he said we would get our proposal by April 2024. He said public sector workers would be better off, so nobody wants us to be better off?” she questioned.
The staff, Grayson told The Gleaner, had suspended all work responsibilities and that she awaited word from Brown who had met with the finance ministry in the morning and would later communicate the outcome of that meeting.
In a follow-up on Monday evening, Grayson disclosed to The Gleaner that she had spoken with Brown and his management team, and that an understanding had been reached.
As such, she has asked that the members report back to work today.
“We are still awaiting a proposal but the response that we got...we believe it is satisfactorily enough to allow us to go back to work until we get the proposal,” she said.
Grayson did not, however, think that the union members were being “unreasonable” in their demands, given that the government salary review has been discussed since 2019 and was implemented for all other bodies in 2022.
Speaking earlier in the meeting, Grayson stated that the union was unaware of what the problem was as to why members were unable to get a proposal.
She continued: “Over here so you hear say a technical staff reclassification. Over here so you hear we nuh have enough staff fi do this. Over here so you hear say a the staff profiles nuh complete to send to the ministry, which one are we talking about? Now members, somebody has dropped the baton.”