The Autonomous University Professors Federation (Faprouasd) did not allow its arm to be twisted. After a meeting with the rector of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo yesterday afternoon, Monday 18 February they rejected a 10% wage increase, approved by the University Council for all of its employees and therefore reiterated their call for a 72-hour work stoppage starting today, Tuesday 19 February. Faprouasd president Ismael Peralta said that the university has sufficient resources to provide them with a 20% wage increase. “There has been no solution. We have spoken to the rector and there is no way we can obey a readjustment of 20%, which we have said that we are willing to negotiate,” said Peralta as he left Rector Mateo Aquino Febrillet’s offices.
He called on the professors to join the strike until Friday 22 February and to attend classes to tell their students about the situation. Last week the professors held a 48-hour work stoppage that ended at 7am on Saturday, 16 February. Although they did not teach, they signed in their attendance so that their pay would not be docked for the two days that they were not teaching. In January 2012 UASD employees received a 15% salary increase and 25% in travel expenses.