UB Board of Trustees Threatens U.B.F.S.U. with Terminations!

The situation at the University of Belize continues to deteriorate and so will its faculty members and staff be made redundant?  That’s what it may come down to, according to the Board of Trustees, if faculty and staff members do not accept proposed salary cuts on the table and resume teaching.  In a three-page letter, Harrison Pilgrim, the President of the Board of Trustees of U.B., outlines nine points about unresolved matters as it relates to the reopening of the university and austerity measures in light of the financial loss of seven point one million dollars.  The Board says that the Union has also failed to submit their proposals on how the university can deal with the financial exigency.  The letter states that the board finds it unbelievable that the union has advised its members not to accept salary cuts, saying that, “if the salary cut is not accepted, the University will have no other option but to make MANY posts redundant?” The letter points out that the re-opening of the academic year was to begin August seventeenth. However, just days before, U.B.F.S.U. announced that their members are not ready for the online transition for classes and called for school to reopen on September seventh.  That appeal for a delay in the re-opening wasn’t accepted and the reopening proceeded on Monday but the faculty members of the union didn’t engage in formal teaching.  The letter states that, “Under normal circumstances if employees dictated to their bosses that they will not do the work they are being paid for, publicly admonish the employer and put the reputation of the institution in ill repute, that in itself would have amounted to sufficiency for the Employer/UB to accept the employee’s resignation or terminate same on the ground of gross misconduct.”  The letter ended off advising faculty that they should proceed with their teaching duties today. Chairman Pilgrim concluded that if the faculty fails start full teaching duties the university will exercise all its rights under the Laws of Belize.