Wednesday, 7th January 2009
University lecturers' pay dispute
Over 2,200 students sign petition
Student representatives preparing banners for today's rally. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi.
More than 2,200 students have signed the petition to urge lecturers and the government to get back to the negotiating table and stop using their education as "a bargaining tool".
Students will be holding a rally on the University campus today to raise awareness about the consequences of the deadlocked discussions on a new collective agreement between the government and the University's academic staff.
Lecturers are asking for a pay rise and threatening to postpone the January examination session either to July or September unless the government gives in to their demands. This would mean University students will either have to sit for their exams of both semesters in one session or that the syllabus of the second semester might not be covered because the timetables will be disrupted.
The rally is being held by the University Students' Council (KSU) and all other active student organisations. But students have been careful not to take any sides on this dispute. This was partly because they were not involved in the negotiations but also because they were putting the blame on both parties which, the students say, have not discussed a way forward in about a month.
A KSU spokesman said the lecturers' action was disproportionate and was only causing problems for students: "They need to come to a conclusion that benefits higher education in Malta and this has to be done as soon as possible."
Lectures have been cancelled for both the University and the Junior College between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. today. The rally will be an informative one, with KSU president Roberta Avellino expected to speak about the need to reach a conclusion as soon as possible.
The KSU was also hoping to get an international student to explain how the issue would affect those on international exchanges because this may lead to complications with flights and accommodation.
Posters were displayed on campus yesterday reminding students to attend the rally and sign the petition. In the afternoon, student organisations' representatives met to design the banners and placards to be used during the activity, which will be held in the Quadrangle. But some students walking in the Quadrangle between lectures yesterday were sceptical about how many would actually turn up.
Maltese students are notorious for being apathetic but those organising today's event were hoping their peers would make their voices heard this time round.
The last time students were in the news was during the March general election campaign when a debate between the four political leaders was held on campus and students packed Sir Temi Zammit Hall to watch, cheer and boo.
Before that, students had protested against the new parking system which restricted the spaces for students and years before they protested when their stipends were cut.
"We hope everyone will come and bring their friends to show their support. That is the only way we will manage to keep on fighting for students' rights," Ms Avellino said.
She said that if no conclusion was reached in time, the students will have to come up with a new way to fight for their rights and no type of action was being ruled out.
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Comments
Thank you for admitting that the students were acting politically.
j.caruana
Anything wrong with learning about industrial relations? It might serve you well when you go to work.
christine scicluna
So you should know that in industrial actions there are always others who are effected. Matthew Caruana Galizia answered you.
Matthew Borg
Cannot argue with someone who wants to keep burying his head in the sand.
Why should I stop seeing it from the way I'm seeing it - I'm a student, just for the record - when I know I'm right and you (as usual) are wrong?
I await your next misinformed answer in earnest.
Hope you are not a lecturer cos lecturers usually speak more nicely about students.
And if you are a lecturer, i think you should revise your code of ethics and bdw no thanks, we already have more than enough credits..or its better not to speak about credits as the situation is still pending
1. Dear I. Galea I strongly believe that you were never a student to speak in this manner because for the nth time we are not protesting against UMASA only but also against d gov..
2. That is why I am at at Uni and being a third yr law student I took a credit called Industrial Legislation so that I can learn more about d situation whereby in no instance it is mentioned that for a strike to be affective, it must seriously jeopardize the rights of others.
3. Finally I dnt understand your never ending idea that we are pampered..we go to work just like you do and we have a life just like you do..imagine yourself having to study for a degree and work part-time and then g to university and hand in assignments!trust me it is far more hard than having a 9-5pm schedule in d office or at d factory coz when u get back home u dnt need to wreck ur mind with case law in my case and never ending notes for each and every student
Look up the definition of the word apolitical. An apolitical person is someone who shows no interest in politics. The students who signed the petition are anything but that.
You accuse students of having 'absolutely no idea about industrial relations'. Judging by the standard of your writing, I suppose you know close to nothing about what it's like to be a student. Besides, by definition, the victims of industrial action should know plenty about the subject.
From The Times Higher Education supplement, March 2006:
'There is no such thing as victimless industrial action - at least not of the successful variety. And, in higher education, the victims are almost bound to be the students.'
I can assure you that those students that think that life out there is all sweet and no sour are wrong. However from experience University provides students with the necessary skills and capabilities to perform well after the University days are over. It is also up to the students themselves to get accustomed to the practices and differences in the real world. In my experience as a University student we were to have 6 months of work experience mixed with 6 months of study. I cannot say that to some extent this wasn't useful, however our aim, as it is with all students, was to graduate, not to work. It also depended on the kind of work experience that you got.
You stop seeing it the way you are seeing it Matthew.
All I can see is that the students are protesting against UMASA and the lecturers.
Marian Grech
Do you think that you will have it all sweet and no work when you leave Uni Marian?
christine scicluna
You have absolutely no idea about industrial relations Christine.
R Vella
You have to care Vella because when you finish Uni you will have to face the world like the lecturers are doing now.
J Farrugia
If you reason and think like that you have no place at Uni. You should still be attending at kindergarten.
Seeing that the Uni students are so naive and have absolutely no idea about industrial relations, I strongly suggest that these pampered students in all courses must have have a few credits on industrial relations or else not be allowed to graduate.
University lecturers, like ALL other salaried workers, enjoy the right to take industrial action in support of claims that their employer keeps refusing. Working-class heroes and martyrs won this right decades ago through sheer blood and sweat. No government’s or employer’s milk of human kindness conceded any of these rights. Students (especially pseudo-academic, paceville-blurred, hilly-billy bums), their organizations and other party lackeys have no right on earth to pressure these lecturers into giving up their stand on the issue of their salaries.
They had to strike, because their arrogant, incompetent employer happens to be the strongest institution in the land, that also enjoys the corrupt backing and protection of a dishonest, non-investigative, right-wing media made up of party lackeys and opportunists.
This "lime-rickey" of a government, stupored-drunk on the notion of a god-given right to total and permanent power, knows only roughshod-riding over anyone or anything that moves within its hot-air sphere of assumed dogmatic omnipotence.
Stop trying to see things from an opposition viewpoint and start seeing them from a student's eyes for once before you pass such comments again... Time and time again people have told you that the students are protesting against both entities, yet time and time again you think that the students are giving the Government full backing!
I don't think students at Uni can be referred as being pampered. Uni life is not an easy one and students get lots of pressure. This issue is truly adding to this unnecessarily.
@J Farrugia
Trying to seem wise by posting comments that further divide students and lecturers, will not get us anywhere. As I said, I do sympathize with students, however most of the blame is on the Government. In the last mtg with Umasa, both ministers showed, not only a lack of decisiveness in how to go about and solve this situation but also a lack of respect for the lecturing (thereafter also teaching in general) profession.
@Maria Gauci
Yes I would like to see the real % increases requested by lecturers and what other responsibilities, duties, accountability aspects have been discussed during the negotiations. However one cannot expect to see these before there is a total agreement between all parties, this is always the case. Except that this time gov. wanted to play dirty by putting out money aspect before everything was agreed. Obviously this contributed to shedding shadows over such an important profession. But gov seems to like this approach more then discussion.
I still haven't understood whether the problem is purely a financial one - i.e. more than what the government proposed is wanted - or whether it’s also compounded by further disagreements such as conditions, etc.... If it’s a financial issue only, how much more are the lecturers asking for? 10%? 20%? 30%? 50%? Haven't read this anywhere!!
I am not trying to take sides here....just trying to understand. Can someone throw some light on this.....
So it's a dispute between our stipends and the lecturers wage?! Can't you see that the government is trying to turn us against our lecturers?
Why do we have to lose our stipend so the lecturers gain their wage? I remember very well, few months ago when Gonzi said that he's going to invest in our education, where are the money now? In the hands of those who gained promotions for their votes?!
Why don't the students protest against Gonzipn intransigence and arrogance if they are really apolitical?