The alleged lack of conditions at the University of Algarve's Portimão Campus led to a strike, this Thursday, the 6th, called by the Portimão U student group. However, the Academic Association does not corroborate the criticisms, does not recognize the legitimacy of this alleged autonomous section and the rectory was not informed of any strike.
In a statement sent to newsrooms by Portimão U, Fábio Zacarias, the leader of the group of students, repudiated «the actions of the Academic Association of the University of Algarve, which lead to the non-defence of the rights of students in the Portimão hub».
At issue are the "precarious, deficient and insufficient conditions of the infrastructure of Portimo", which include the "lack of decent conditions for the cleaning employee, with her spa being the greatest proof of inhumanity experienced in the pole", and by "infrastructure problems in the entire length of the Pole».
This led to the call of a general strike of students, in the campus Portimonense.
However, it guaranteed the Sul Informação source of the Rectory of UAlg, "today exams were carried out in Portimão with complete normality, with a dozen students at the door of the pole".
AAUAlg, on the other hand, departed from all the communication and all the actions taken by the student group Portimão U, stressing that "it is not favorable to the way in which the statement" issued by the group "was presented to society and the community academic», says Vitor Pereira, president of AAUAlg, in a statement published on social networks.
Even because, said the academic association, «the so-called “Autonomous Section” Portimão U is not included in the AAUAlg staff, as it is not a legalized Autonomous Section».
Vitor Pereira guaranteed that he had already asked the lawyer for a legal opinion, "which confirms the non-compliance with the AAUAlg Statutes" by the group of students from Portimão.
The Academic Association also highlighted that Fábio Zacarias, who signed the Portimão U communiqué, "is aware of the work being carried out by the UAlg rectory team, together with AAUAlg, to address the issues presented in the communiqué".
Regarding the students' strike in Portimão, «AAUAlg was not aware of it and thinks that the measures being taken are excessively drastic, given the current situation discussed with the rectory team».
The rectory of the University of the Algarve also told the Sul Informação not having received "any notice of strike from students of the School of Management, Hotel and Tourism of the Portimão pole", stating that "the facilities in question are safe, having been the target of improvement works in 2018/2019", for which “we refute the statements of the student Fábio Zacarias”.
«UAlg is not aware of the existence of an association named “Portimão U” that represents students. The only association that represents the students of the University of Algarve is AAUAlg – Academic Association of the University of Algarve, founded on October 1, 1997», stressed the university.
The rectory's assurances contrast with the accusations of Portimão U, who alleges that «the structure of the old wall of Portimão threatens to collapse onto the classrooms, the University's server room has infiltrations and walls falling on top of the aforementioned servers'.
The «existence of tiles containing fiber cement (asbestos) particles» is another aspect highlighted by Fábio Zacarias.
The leader of Portimão U also states that the lack of security conditions is “evident when we find that there are broken fire alarms (recently removed and not replaced) and the lack of pride in the auditorium recovery works, leaving broken chairs, connections exposed electrical outlets and the inexistence of sufficient fire extinguishers».
The scattered debris is also denounced by the student, as well as the “scarcity of beds” and the “poor Internet coverage” in university residences.
The alleged problems existing on the UAlg campus in Portimão were originally denounced by Portimão U in the debate “Portimão Cidade Universitária: Benefits for the city and the region”.
Several citizens linked to politics participated in this debate, who, according to Fábio Zacarias, concluded that “the current Polo is inhumane and rapid intervention is needed, in order to achieve equal rights and conditions for students from different fields of the University of the Algarve and the consequent strengthening of the region as a training location».
In a note sent to the newsrooms, the PSD/Portimão said that it had already learned of the strike, having had an “opportunity to meet with the Portimão U Association”.
Carlos Gouveia Martins, president of the PSD/Portimão, “expresses solidarity with the hundreds of young people who decided to choose Portimão, reiterating his political readiness to meet again in search of more solutions and proposals”.
Comments