by Curlan Campbell, NOW Grenada
- Grades for students were due last Friday but are yet to be submitted
- 243 permanent workers employed by College Council are involved in protest action
- College Council recommendation must be in before Friday to reach cabinet on Monday
As ongoing industrial action at the TA Marryshow Community College (TAMCC) continues to hamper operations at the institution, students are feeling the brunt.
For the last 11 days, staff hired by the college council have gradually upscaled industrial action calling for the payment of increments amounting to $6.2 million owed to them since 2014. Reports are that grades for students for the 9-week semester were due last Friday but are yet to be submitted.
Minister for Trade, Industry, Cooperatives, and Caricom Affairs, Oliver Joseph, stated that the Government of Grenada is concerned over what is taking place at the college. Minister Joseph maintains that the College Council at TAMCC is responsible for paying the increment.
He told reporters at Tuesday’s Post-Cabinet Briefing that the cabinet has asked that the college council prepare a proposal that should be submitted to the cabinet for review next Monday.
“A committee was set up to meet with the council and they must come up with proposals for the next cabinet meeting. So, the work must be completed this week on how they are going to address the payment. That means that the recommendation must be in before Friday to reach the cabinet on Monday and then the cabinet will make a decision on the way forward,” said Minister Joseph.
Today, Wednesday, lecturers have reported to work, but are engaged in a sit-in and are only doing work from their desk as reported by one lecturer. This means that students are left to fend for themselves and students doing the 15-week courses are currently preparing for exams coming up in the second week of December.
243 permanent workers employed by the College Council are involved in protest action. TAMCC receives an annual subvention from the government of $14 million for payment of salaries and $3 million for payment of utilities, a total of $17 million.
