University non-academic staff continues strike

June - 14 The university non-academic employees have decided to continue the strike, driven by demands including the rectification of a 15% salary cut.

The University Trade Union Joint Committee (UTUJC) warned the government that their trade union action will persist until a positive response is received.

The strike enters the 44th day today (14).

Addressing the media, UTUJC Secretary Mahesh Mendis stated that the situation has worsened due to the University Grants Commission (UGC) chairman's silence.

"If the UGC chairman had intervened initially, there wouldn't have been a strike. We have yet to receive a response from the government," he said.

"Therefore, the UTUJC demands that the government intervene and provide an immediate solution. The Ministers responsible for addressing the 15% salary cut issue are now silent. The UTUJC emphasises that they will not stop the strike until their issues are resolved," he said.

"The government forced us into this. We did not want to strike; we simply wanted solutions to our demands. Now the government claims they cannot do anything about our demands. We cannot agree with this stance. The government must intervene in this issue," Mendis said.