UWI Mona teachers threaten to strike on Monday over health and pension benefits

The West Indies Group of University Teachers (WIGUT) Jamaica, says its members are prepared to take industrial action next Monday, if the University of the West Indies (UWI) does not reverse its decision to reduce health and pension benefits for new staff members.

Professor Paul Brown, president of WIGUT, said the University's decision was made unilaterally, without negotiations with the unions representing workers on the campus.

While the reductions should only affect new staff members starting on August 1, 2025, there are concerns regarding long-serving staff who may change deployment late this year, Brown explained.

Without a meeting to iron out the concerns, Brown stressed, members will have no option other than industrial action to make their voices heard.

"The campus and the university have decided that they need to get some finances in order, and part of that has to do with the health benefits and post-employment benefits to retirees. They have decided that new employees will now pay 50 per cent of their premium and that used to be 20 per cent," he said, adding that these members, upon retiring will have to pay 100 per cent of their premium "When they actually need it even more!"

"There are rules that govern what the employer should be doing as far as health and pension benefits and if there is going to be any changes then there is room for negotiations," Brown said. "Without negotiations, it means that they would have implemented a unilateral decision, and that is an affront to any union that represents staff in any industry and space."

"We have told the university that it cannot be implemented without negotiations. It is ultra vires to the rules that govern the staff that are coming in.

"They want to argue that we don't represent staff that have not joined, but every staff that comes in gets the rules of engagement which is something that is negotiated between the unions and the university," he retorted, explaining that there are "grey areas" where long-serving staff could also be affected by the new arrangement.

- Corey Robinson

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