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G.L.-Teachers’ talks fail again

03 Aug 2021

  • 3rd salary anomaly cabinet proposal soon
  • Cabinet to address issue in next Budget: Lokuge
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Following the discussion held yesterday (3) between teachers’ and principals’ trade unions and Minister of Education Prof. G.L. Peiris regarding issues in the education sector, including the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue, ending without resolution, the trade unions have decided to continue all trade union actions that have been initiated so far. A proposal was submitted to the Cabinet of Ministers by Prof. Peiris with regard to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue on 1 August, and a meeting was held yesterday at the Education Ministry premises to discuss the said proposal. However, the trade union representatives who spoke to the media after the discussion said the discussion ended without reaching any agreement and that therefore, all the trade union actions including the withdrawal from online and face-to-face teaching activities at regional learning centres as well as examination duties, which continued for the 23rd day yesterday, would continue further. Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin, speaking to the media, said that Prof. Peiris had stated that the latter hopes to submit another proposal at the next cabinet meeting to resolve the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. However, Stalin said they would continue the ongoing trade union actions as their problems do not seem to be resolved through the submitting of proposals to the Cabinet. “Our request is to implement the recommendations contained in the report of the Subodhini Committee which was appointed to resolve the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. However, during the discussion, neither Prof. Peiris nor any other official stated as to whether those recommendations would be implemented or not. Simply, the Education Ministry has no position on how the issue should be resolved,” he claimed. Meanwhile, the teachers’ and principals’ trade unions have also requested Education Ministry Secretary Prof. Kapila Perera to withdraw the circular issued on 1 August requiring all academic and non-academic school staff to report for duty. Commenting on this, Stalin claimed the relevant circular was an attempt to sabotage the trade union actions that are currently being carried out. “We demand the immediate withdrawal of the said circular. Teachers are usually called for duty about a week before the schools reopen, but so far, no decision has been made on the reopening of the schools,” he noted. Elsewhere, Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe, speaking to the media after the discussion, said there is no other option but to continue trade union actions against the backdrop of the Government, on a daily basis, delaying the provision of solutions for the teachers’ and principals’ issues. “We are ready to negotiate whenever necessary, but Prof. Peiris, Prof. Perera, and the Government have to come up with their plans. However, so far, they have not come up with any plans,” he further claimed. Speaking further, Jayasinghe called on teachers to support all trade union actions that are currently being conducted without fear, and emphasised that the trade unions would work to protect all teachers, including those on probation. However, speaking to the media after the cabinet meeting on 2 August, Minister of Transport Gamini Lokuge said that despite the fact that the teachers have the right to protest, the Government is currently unable to allocate such a huge sum of money solely to rectify teachers’ and principals’ salary-related anomalies. He also said the Cabinet had unanimously decided that the demand would be considered during the drafting of the next Budget. Teachers’ and principals’ trade unions had decided to withdraw from all online teaching activities from 12 July until further notice, in protest over the arrest of a group of trade unionists and student activists, including Stalin, and the lack of a solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. In addition to online teaching activities, the teachers and principals had withdrawn from duties related to sending applications for examinations including the GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examination online. They had also withdrawn from teaching activities at regional learning centres recently established by the Education Ministry. Also, nearly 5,800 teachers and principals had decided to withdraw from practical examination duties of the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examination that commenced on 26 July. In addition, they have also decided to withdraw from duties related to the GCE A/L and Grade Five Scholarship examinations that are to be held in November 2021.


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