PHILIPSBURG--Windward Islands Federation of Labour (WIFOL) on Tuesday accused management of University of St. Martin (USM) of marginalising employees for whom it filed dismissal requests with the Labour Department, before the Easter Holidays.
Via press release, WIFOL said it had learned that renewal of employment and immigration documents had been filed for the librarian, a non-national, by the same institution, under conspicuous circumstances and while the institution is seeking to dismiss others.
"Without the dismissal process even being finalised, three of the seven workers who also have administrative duties are being marginalised and not being invited to staff meetings. The three employees claim that they are being discriminated against while the request for their dismissal is still being processed and they also questioned whether the labour laws on St. Maarten were really there to safeguard the rights of employees," the WIFOL release read. "They added that tactics tantamount to bribery were also being used to break their will," the release continued.
WIFOL said it had also learned that attempts were being made by the security company, which submitted a bid to USM for its services, to absorb the USM security guards even before the dismissal process had been heard by the dismissal committee.
"USM is also claiming that the Humanities position will not be renewed once the contract has expired, but the WIFOL has learned that there are plans afoot to rehire the same person in a 'development' capacity," the release read.
"With regard to the librarian, he has been at USM since 2008. He was hired after USM raised over US $1.8 million in pledges and donations from the community and much of that money went to paying the exorbitant salaries of the same librarian, the former chief financial officer and former dean, all non-nationals. As far as the librarian's duties are concerned, the university has also had him performing duties as [Information Technology (IT)-Ed.] technician, contrary to his work permit."
WIFOL continued: "USM also failed to renew the contract of a local IT technician with more networking experience, in favour of the librarian who now has been sent off-island, reportedly with the ticket being paid by USM, until his immigration and employment documents are processed. In the meanwhile, with finals and deadlines for projects fast approaching, the USM library will be manned by a work study.
WIFOL said that while he had been on the island working since 2008, the documents for the librarian were reportedly being treated as a new application, "under the guise of him returning to head-up an IT function."
There are many qualified local IT technicians on the island who can do his job, WIFOL stated. In addition, the academic coordinator of IT, another local, has been relegated to the position of a lab attendant and is now being laid off, WIFOL said.
WIFOL added that the university had also sent out requests to students, on Tuesday, to send in their resumes and come for interviews to fill positions, as part of the Work Study Program in the Admissions Office, Business Office, Computer Lab, GED/Humanities Office and Student Service Center.
"USM, with the blessing of its board, is claiming restructuring and financial hardship as the reasons for the layoffs, but all the employees cite the reason as being personal. The president, who has no background in education or the running of educational institutions, is the one who proposed the dismissals to the board and the board then gave its blessings. WIFOL questions what example USM, which exists to educate and teach, is setting for the young people and population of this nation," WIFOL said.
WIFOL said it had also learned that USM was reportedly seeking to become an educational broker and could eventually phase out offering its own programmes. "This is contrary to what a university is and how a university functions. The government of St. Maarten needs to seriously look at the establishment of a university for the island nation that links all of the schools and also produces the types of citizens that are desirable for progress and development of this country," WIFOL concluded.
Neither USM, nor its board has made any public comments about the dismissal request, to date.
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