Workers, students launch “Operation Rescue UG”
January 25, 2012 – Demerara Waves
In the wake of the University of Guyana opting not to re-employ Political Scientist Freddie Kissoon, several university organisations on Wednesday decided to stage picketing demonstrations as part of “Operation Rescue UG”.
The Council has also decided to advertise for a Registrar in about two weeks and the incumbent office holder, Vincent Alexander would be free to re-apply, well-placed sources told Demerara Waves Online News.
Concerns are being raised in some quarters about the motive behind asking Alexander, currently on leave, to re-apply while renewing the contracts of the Director of UG’s Tain Campus and the Bursar without first advertising the vacancies.
A spokesman for Wednesday afternoon’s meeting told demwaves.com that the University of Guyana Students Society (UGSS), University of Guyana Senior Staff Association (UGSSA) and the University of Guyana Workers Union (UGWU) deemed the action against Kissoon “absolutely unacceptable.”
The university organisations agreed to picket on campus everyday and hold a general meeting on Monday in the George Walcott Lecture Theatre.
Addressing the termination of Kissoon’s contract by the council last week Wednesday, the university organisations agreed that the Council “usurped the function of the academics.” According to the spokesman, the Council could not have pronounced on qualifications and performance because “that is the duty of the academic community.”
The organisations of students and academic and non-academic staff noted that it is the academic community determines whether someone should be employed in that sphere based on fair criterion and so it should be that body of academics that should determine whether someone should be dismissed.
Other sources say the University Council decided Kissoon’s fate because of concerns about his performance and attitude in the classroom. He has, however, insisted that he is qualified, experienced, and competent and had conducted enough research to warrant his retention.
The Council has officially refused to discuss the decision to terminate Kissoon’s contract and pay him for the remaining three months in lieu of notice. While two other lecturers- one without a formal contract- have been given an opportunity to re-apply for part-time positions, no such offer has been made to Kissoon.
The 61-year old Kissoon last year retired after more than 25 years service to UG. He was then granted a one year contract from September 1, 2011 to August 1, 2012.
The main opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) have condemned Kissoon’s termination. Kissoon has spoken on both parties’ platforms before and after the November 28 elections. He has been also a very sharp critic of the Peoples Progressive Party Civic administration in his Kaieteur News columns.
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