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University strike
By Sandun A. Jayasekara
Academic staff of all 15 Universities will go on strike if the government fails to respond positively to their demand to increase salaries, the Federation of University Teachers Association said.
“We have reluctantly decided to stage a one hour picketing from 12.00 noon to 1.00 p.m. next Tuesday at all Universities including the Open University as a forewarning. If the government or the Higher Education Ministry does not give us a positive reply on our just demands, Heads of Department of all universities will withdraw from their voluntary work from next Thursday which will disrupt normal academic functions at Universities. If the authorities were still adamant and fail to give us our salary increase then we have no choice but to resort to a full scale trade union action,” FUTA President Prof. Sampath Amaratunga said.
Prof. Amaratunga said the FUTA postponed further trade union action on its salary issue until August 30th after a firm undertaking was given by the Secretary to the President Lalith Weeratunga and Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasunadara to submit a new salary structure for University academics with substantial pay hikes on or before August 25th.
“However, we will wait until next Monday as Mr. Weeartunga requested the FUTA to wait another week in a fax message this week as he was going to India on an official engagement and he would present us with the new salary structure on his return from India,” Prof. Am,aratunga emphasized.
The decision to launch a full scale trade union action and the date to launch it will be taken by the FUTA that represents over 4,000 academics of all Sri Lankan Universities assessing the response of the government / Higher Education Ministry, Prof. Amaratunga said.
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