Ufam is at risk of starting 2023 with lack of funds and evaluates strike by budget cuts

Ívina Garcia – Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS – On the morning of Friday, 16, the Association of Teachers of the Federal University of Amazonas (Adua) said in a press conference that the educational institution can close the year 2022 without being able to pay bills and scholarships for teaching, research and extension.

Payments are being hampered after recent blocks in the Ministry of Education (MEC) by the federal government, in June (R$ 7,5 mi) and December (R$ 6,2 mi), that added up to R$ 13,5 million, cut the budget only Ufam. Throughout Brazil, R$ 344 million in resources were withheld from federal universities.

Read more: No money for water and electricity, Ufam has cut R$ 13 million in budget

At the Federal University of Amazonas (Ufam), the lack of funds impacts basic items for the structure of the institution and puts at risk the payment of water bills, energy and guaranteed payment for security and cleaning.

Even with the pressure of the union and the rectory, the federal government released only R$ 1,1 million on 8 December, intended exclusively for the student assistance program, for students in vulnerability that make up the National Plan for Student Assistance (Pnaes).

On the other hand, even with the release, the amount does not reach the necessary amount of R$ 9.2 million to fund other scholarships offered by the institution, such as undergraduate, graduate, research and extension. The deficit is R$ 8.1 million to pay the bills at the end of the year.

Read more: After cutting the federal government, Ufam has blocked R$ 15 million and managers seek reversal in Brasilia

As the president of Adua, Jacob Paiva, outsourced professionals will be the first to be affected with blocking salaries, if the financial framework is not reversed by January 2023.

“In our evaluation, the outsourced security body, which is to make patrimonial security, is insufficient to ensure a safe place in our work”, says the president, worried about the absence of private guards if the payments are not made.

At this first moment, Jacob says that the institution evaluates whether or not to paralyze activities as occurs in other institutions in Brazil, precisely because of the lack of resources to maintain the operation. “There is already a debate in the category that if we can not reverse this situation, some already indicate the need for a national strike of federal universities to press more forcefully the return of the budgets of universities”, he explains.