Teachers to launch islandwide strike tomorrow

Colombo, June 11 (Daily Mirror) - An islandwide trade union action is scheduled to be launched after school, targeting all Zonal Education Centres over several demands, including the provision of the promised remaining salary, the Ceylon Teachers' Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said.

He told the Daily Mirror that all paper marking at all marking centres will stop at 1 p.m. tomorrow, as they join the trade union action demanding the provision of the remaining two-thirds of the salary increment promised to school principals and teachers.

The CTU demands that the Education Ministry provide the allocated Rs. 46 billion funds as payment for teachers and principals, insisting that the funds be assigned this year.

Additionally, the CTU has called for an increase in paper marking charges. Despite a committee being appointed last year to address this issue, the charges have not been increased, he said.

Stalin also mentioned that they demand a reduction in the burden on parents regarding school expenses and an end to the practice of collecting funds from parents.