Since 8 October a great student and student movement shook Guyana, the claims involved
physical aspects of student life (food, transport ...). The students also demanded the
resignation of the responsible academic center of Guyana, the reopening of educational
courses closed and the creation of a full University (she previously relied University
Antilles-Guyane). ---- One of the leaders of the movement, Bruno Niederkorn, assistant at
the university spokesman STEG-UTG, a member of the Inter strikers staff and the delegation
that negotiated with the prefect, kindly answer our questions. ---- Libertarian
Alternative: Can you remind us how and why the movement started? How did we get to today's
demands? ---- Bruno Niederkorn: End of September 2013 there has been an awareness of the
practical difficulties of teacher-to-s and students.
The non-opening of the professional license "environmental protection" was the detonator
of the movement. The staff was outstanding in relation to the governance of Guyana
university center (harassment, intimidation or assault, including the students). The
General Meeting of 3 October 2013, bringing together about 200 people on 2500 students and
staff at the university, voted to strike for October 8, 2013. After the first week of the
strike analysis of the lack of resources has allowed all members of the Inter (Snesup-FSU,
SNPTES-Unsa, Steg-UTG-Sgen CDTG) and collective student ask the claim of greater autonomy.
After the second week, before blocking the State, the same analysis has led to more
moderate request separation from the West Indies and a full University.
There he not been friction within the Inter-personal between more radical reformist unions
(Sgen-CDTG, SNPTES-Unsa) and others (Steg-UTG)?
Bruno Niederkorn: In the inter-university center of Guyana, there was never any tension
between unions. By cons we encountered difficulties with Sgen-CDTG federations and FSU.
The CDTG tried to negotiate on our behalf and the FSU declined since the beginning the
full University.
What do you think of the student self-organization in this conflict?
Bruno Niederkorn: The student self-organization has been very complicated to implement. It
was only after a week strike that student group has been created, but there was never a
gap between the student group and inter-personal.
A claim lighthouse movement is the creation of a full University. Why have adopted this claim?
Bruno Niederkorn: We were exposed to an operating system where allocations were diverted
to a system of domination where we had the consent of the Antilles-Guyane University to
create any chain and a system after humiliation insults Raphael Confident[1]. We realized
after two weeks of struggle University Antilles-Guyane needed us but we did not need it.
What dialogue did you have with the government?
Bruno Niederkorn: We saw such a delegation of students and staff to get to the permanence
of Christiane Taubira, Minister of Justice and be received so relaxed by the minister
herself. Relations with the State are rather tense. We refused to meet the prefect for
four days and Mrs Taubira played a facilitating role to resume its dialogue with the prefect.
How did you get to keep the unity of the movement between inter-personal and students
struggle?
Bruno Niederkorn: Students attended all meetings of the Inter since the beginning of the
movement.
What are the Guyanese political forces that support the movement?
Bruno Niederkorn: We support all policies and all week, our approach has been to seek
unity and we got it. Since the beginning of the movement are present with us Walwari
political parties[2], MDES (Movement of decolonization and social emancipation) and Alain
Tien-Liong president of the council.
What was the involvement of the UTG (Union of Guyanese workers) in this conflict? It has
been noted a strike by bus drivers at the last day of mobilization, was it not possible to
go further towards a general strike?
Bruno Niederkorn: Since the beginning of links are made between the central UTG and
UTG-Steg. Week, the UTG increases their level of engagement, walkouts were held in private
companies and there has been a financial solidarity of certain sections.
Interview by Jerome (AL Guyana), the 10/11/2013
Accuracy: An agreement to end strike granting full University Guyana was signed November
11, 2013.
[1] writer and dean of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of the West Indies and
Guiana.
[2] Among other Party founded by Christiane Taubira, near the Radical Left Party and the PS.
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