The trade unions representing academic staff at the university have turned down a plea by the university to stop their current industrial action, Education Minister Dolores Cristina has revealed.

She said the government and the university are doing what they can to achieve an early solution to the dispute with the MUT and the UMASA on a new collective agreement.

The university had asked the unions to call off their actions while talks continued. The unions refused and the university has therefore called on the Director of Industrial Relations to convene a conciliation meeting.

The unions have directed their members to correct exam papers but not to file the results, a situation which has drawn protests from students.