The cancellation of the meeting of the Unicamp University Council (Consu) this Tuesday (29), due to demonstrations called by the Unicamp Workers' Union (STU), the Unicamp Teachers' Association (Adunicamp) and the Central Directory of Students (DCE ), led the Council of Rectors of São Paulo State Universities (Cruesp) to suspend meeting with the Forum of Six, scheduled for this Wednesday (30). In a note released late in the afternoon, Cruesp states that the meeting will be suspended until the Consu is able to assess the proposal for the salary adjustment presented by the rectors of the three state universities in São Paulo.
The Consu meeting was canceled because protesters picketed in front of the doors that give access to the General Secretariat (SG) and Rectory buildings, preventing counselors from entering the meeting location. Faced with the impasse, rector Marcelo Knobel, who presides over the collegiate body, was forced to open the session and then close it due to the lack of quorum. Among the issues that would be analyzed by the Council was the proposal for a 1,5% salary increase for teachers and technical-administrative employees.
Still in the morning, the protesters' stance was condemned by a group of 26 Consu members, who released a motion in which he “vehemently repudiated” the obstruction of the organ room. “This was an unprecedented embarrassment in the recent past of this Council, incompatible with an academic environment where the free discussion of ideas and positions must prevail,” stated the text. The Rectory also released two statements to keep the community informed about the consequences of the act promoted by the protesters. Read the two texts below.
Rector Marcelo Knobel deeply regretted the demonstrators' stance, which he classified as truculent and which obstructed the democratic debate on this and other issues on the Consu's agenda. “This type of attitude is reprehensible, which prevented issues of interest to Unicamp as a whole from being analyzed,” stated the director. One of the consequences of the demonstration, recalled the rector, is the loss to all teachers and staff, who will not receive the proposed adjustment in the month of June.
“We held the closure of the payroll, in the expectation that the adjustment would be approved by Consu, which is the highest deliberative body of the institution. As this did not happen, we were unable to grant the index, which means that all our teaching and non-teaching employees will not receive it at this time”. Deliberation Consu-A-020/2017 (Article 1, Paragraph 1, Item IX) determines that all salary increase proposals presented by the Council of Rectors of the State Universities of São Paulo (Cruesp) must be submitted for approval by the counselors as they imply perennial increase in budget expenditures.
In addition to this item, the meeting's agenda also contained other important issues, such as the proposal to create a Transport Engineering course by the Faculty of Technology (FT), located in Limeira. According to Knobel, despite the protesters' radical stance, the Central Administration remains open to dialogue, as it always has been. Before canceling the meeting, the Rectory received a commission formed by representatives of teachers, staff and students to talk about the importance of holding the Consu session, but despite all the considerations, the pickets continued.
Read the repudiation motion released by Consu members
Read Cruesp's statement
Announcement from the Rectory No. 01
The Unicamp Rectory informs the academic community that it was forced to cancel the meeting of the University Council (Consu) scheduled for today due to pickets that prevented counselors from entering the General Secretariat building.
The Rectory made every effort to ensure that the meeting took place, but these were unsuccessful. Even after the Rectory received representatives of teachers, staff and students to discuss, access to the Consu meeting room continued to be blocked.
Given the cancellation of the meeting, deliberations on several matters of interest to Unicamp had to be postponed – among them, the approval of the 1,5% salary adjustment proposed by the Council of Rectors of São Paulo State Universities (Cruesp).
As the matter could not be debated by the Consu, as determined by the Deliberation Consu-A-020/2017 (Article 1, Paragraph 1, Item IX), according to which all salary increase proposals presented by Cruesp must be submitted for approval by the councilors as they imply a permanent increase in budgetary expenses, the 1,5% adjustment cannot yet be granted .
The Rectory regrets the stance of the union movement, which prevented democratic debate in accordance with the University's institutional norms.
Dean of Unicamp
Campinas, May 29, 2018
Announcement from the Rectory No. 02
Regarding the cancellation, due to pickets, of the University Council (Consu) meeting scheduled for today, the Unicamp Rectory clarifies that:
- As agreed at the meeting on the 17th between the Council of Rectors of São Paulo State Universities (Cruesp) and Fórum das Seis, the recording of which is available, the entities representing teachers and employees of the three universities would take the 1,5% salary adjustment proposal for discussion at their meetings and assemblies, while the rectors of USP and Unicamp would submit the possible approval of this adjustment to their respective University Councils . Cruesp understands that the discussion of the readjustment within the scope of the University Councils of USP and Unicamp is, therefore, a fundamental prerequisite for holding a new meeting with the Forum of the Six. There was already a meeting between Cruesp and Fórum das Seis pre-scheduled for this Wednesday (30). This meeting has been suspended and will only be held after Unicamp is able to discuss the readjustment proposal in its University Council.
- As provided for in Deliberation Consu-A-020/2017 (Article 1, Paragraph 1, Item IX), approval by the University Council is necessary for the immediate implementation of the 1,5% adjustment proposed by Cruesp as it is a permanent expense for the University. Considering the deadline for running the payroll, the lack of discussion and deliberation on the matter by Consu prevents the Unicamp community from receiving the proposed adjustment in June.
- The legitimacy of the Consu meeting is given by the quorum, provided for in accordance with article 51 of the Statutes and articles 29, 33 and 36 of the Consu's Internal Regulations (Deliberation CONSU-A-02/87).
- Despite the serious situation in the country, the Rectory has made an effort to guarantee the movement and food of the community, as well as the functioning of the Health Area and the Central Administration. The charter buses operated normally, as did the University Restaurant at lunch time.
- The Rectory sent letter to the Unicamp Workers' Union (STU) on the 23rd, requesting the scheduling of a meeting to discuss the entity's agenda of demands, but had not received a response as of today.
- The impediment of the Consu meeting caused by pickets has other relevant implications for the University, as the agenda contained several matters of interest to the units and bodies that could not be considered.
The Rectory highlights that the impediment of a meeting of the University's highest deliberative body is a serious and unacceptable fact. The guarantee of institutional order, dialogue and respect for people must be guiding principles for those who really fight for public universities.
Dean of Unicamp
Campinas, May 29, 2018
