Africa-Press – Mauritius. The president of the UTM Employees Union (UTMEU), Vikash Sewsagur, has denounced what he describes as an unjustified refusal by the Director-General of the University of Technology, Mauritius (UTM), Dinesh Hurreeram, to grant him paid union leave. Sewsagur had applied for paid time off during the week to engage in union-related activities, but the request was reportedly rejected by the university’s management, which cited a need for more information about the purpose of the meeting.
“My rights as a trade unionist have been violated,” Sewsagur said, arguing that he could not disclose more details due to the confidential nature of union affairs. “The director is obstructing our trade union activities by demanding such explanations. This is unacceptable,” he lamented. In response, Narendranath Gopee, president of the Federation of Civil Service and Other Unions (FCSOU), has written to Hurreeram to remind him that the right to paid trade union leave is guaranteed under the Employment Relations Act 2008 (as amended).
Gopee also emphasized that union members are not legally obliged to disclose details about their internal activities, which are protected by law. Believing that his rights have been infringed, Sewsagur has requested a meeting with the Minister of Labour this Monday to discuss the matter further. Meanwhile, he has reiterated calls for the Financial Crimes Commission (FCC) to investigate two issues at UTM—what he describes as an “illegal appointment” and alleged irregularities in procurement procedures over the past two years. “I have serious doubts of wrongdoing!” he exclaimed.
The union leader also expressed concern over the continued presence of appointees from the previous administration in key positions across several public tertiary institutions, including UTM, the University of Mascareignes (UDM), Polytechnics Mauritius, and the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Despite numerous letters sent to the authorities, Sewsagur claims that little action has been taken. He argued that internal candidates should be prioritized for senior appointments: “There are competent people within these institutions who can shoulder responsibility. Senior academics are fully capable of managing these roles.”
Finally, Sewsagur called upon Prime Minister Navin Ramgoolam and Vice Prime Minister Paul Bérenger to intervene and address what he sees as the general decline of tertiary education institutions, reflected in falling admission rates in recent years. In a wider effort to address these challenges, a collective platform uniting multiple university unions has recently been established to present a united front. “We are all facing the same problems—it is time this stops,” Sewsagur declared, adding that the UTM is unlikely to organize an end-of-year celebration this year “due to lack of funds, even though top management continues to waste resources.”
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