NCU to cut salaries, adjusts operations due to COVID-19

Northern Caribbean University (NCU) has announced a 10-per cent salary cut for all its employees effective June 1 in response to reduced revenue inflows caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

NCU says further salary reduction is pending if the institution’s financial position does not improve to meet future payments.

In making the announcement to workers during a virtual meeting on Monday, NCU President Dr Lincoln Edwards said that the pandemic arrived at a time when the university had been steadily improving its fiscal position through rationalisation of the workforce, savings from increased efficiencies and the implementation of a growth agenda.

Edwards also said that the advent of the pandemic had dried up sources of income for many students through the Colporteur ministry or overseas work.

He said this has been compounded by the loss of family support due to closure of the tourism and other industries, reduced remittance inflows, and the inability of family members who are farmers to sell their produce as well as students losing employment on campus.

He also pointed to reduced income from the Seventh-day Adventist conferences who traditionally assist in funding the university.

In addition to the impending salary cut, Edwards announced other personnel-related cost containment strategies including:

*Temporary suspension of specified allowances.
*Job sharing/flexible work hours to staff in certain sectors of the university.
*The layoff of workers on short-term contract and workers who cannot be redeployed by the university at this time.
*Freezing of non-critical hiring and re-assignment of current workers to fill vacancies where possible.
*Reduction adjunct faculty.
*Elimination of overtime payment and the introduction of flexible work hours for staff in areas where this can be accommodated. 

The announcement of the cost containment measures comes ahead of a media-thon to be hosted on Sunday, May 24 by the NCU Alumni Federation as part of efforts to raise US$ 2 million towards the NCU COVID-19 Scholarship Fund, which will assist students experiencing financial challenges.

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