• Other unions to report on Oct 21 

 The trade union alliance of school teachers and principals, after striking work for almost 100 days, decided today to report to duty only on October 25 onwards for teaching, but not on October 21 designated by the government as the day of reopening schools after the pandemic.

President of Sri Lanka United Teachers Union, Ven. Yalwela Pannasekara Thera said teachers had been threatened at various parts of the country by some government ministers to report to duty on October 21.
As a mark of protest for it, he said the trade union alliance decided not to report to duty both on October 21 and 22. However, he said the teachers would resume teaching on October 25 for the sake of children’s education.  
The government has decided to reopen schools with less than 200 children each on October 21.

The teachers agitated demanding rectification of salary anomalies existing since 1996. The strike was led mainly by the JVP-affiliated Ceylon Teachers Services Union and the Ceylon Teachers Union.  

However, Sri Lanka Podujana Teachers’ Union which is affiliated to the ruling party said schools would be opened on October 21.

“As teachers, we have to stick to the circulars issued by the Education Ministry. The JVP union, the teachers’ union led by Joseph Stalin are a means to the education sector.  The JVP intimidated people with notices issued on small pieces of paper. Today, they do the same by sending electronic messages,” its President Wasantha Handapangoda said. 

She said her union’s members would report to duty on October 21 as asked by the Ministry.