Strike at the UAM forced to sacrifice 50% of their animals for research

55 days after the start of the strike in the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM), authorities Iztapalapa Campus denounced the trade union conflict caused the death of half of the animals that they used for their research projects.

Edith Arenas, coordinator of Master in Animal Reproduction Biology, he said in an interview with Excelsior What?they had to sacrifice rats, there are also mice. The economic cost is very high because each project involves investments, there are some in which Obesity is induced by special foods, which are also very expensivethe reagents have an expiry date and this represents a very high loss ".

50% of the dead animals lived on the Izotepalapa campus.which means mainly economic losses due to special foods or to compounds such as phytoestrogens which They are worth about 30 thousand pesos.

Dr. Arenas, with his counterparts, already plan the new route to complete all surveys who have been arrested since 1 February.

"We as coordinators we must think about what we will do as soon as the university opens, get ready to try to solve the lost time and Loss of animals and reagentssee how they can help students try to recover, "he said.

He added that regarding the investigations of his students "you can change some goals or decrease the number of goals of your theses so that they can finish on time, support them now, for example, by advancing in the writing of their theses, so that from the opening of the university, it is only administrative procedures ".

The effect of male obesity, antidepressants on reproduction and conservation of wildlife, is among the projects involved.

Other cases lost because of the strike at UAM

The death of these animals is not the only loss since the beginning of the union conflict within the UAM. Earlier this month, we learned that the student Leasly Alejandra missed the opportunity to make a research trip to National Administration of Aeronautics and Space (NASA, for his acronyms in English).

The doctoral student in mathematical sciences of UAM-Iztapalapa could not apply to the appeal because the university did not extend the requested documents.

On February 1, members of the Independent Union of Workers of the Autonomous Metropolitan University (SITUAM) iThey announced the stop of activities in the premises of the establishmentthis will not end until they approve a 20% increase and review of certain clauses of their contract.

Two months after the start of the strike, the university authorities offered SITUAM an increase of 3.35% of the wages of all basic workers, in addition to the additional 3% on the basic administrative workers tabulator, with which they have a total of 6.45% of your total salary; as well as increasing 4.83% of your monthly vouchers.

This proposal will have to be evaluated by the union, who are the only ones able to lift the strike which totals today 55 days.