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PM meets teachers’ unions sans Stalin, Mahinda Jayasinghe

11 Oct 2021

 
  • Meeting with the two union leaders to be held today
  • Ven. Ananda Thera leads other unions during yesterday’s meeting
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Despite the indefinite postponement of the discussion which was to be held between representatives of several teachers’ and principals’ trade unions including the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) and the Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday (11), representatives of certain other teachers’ trade unions accompanied by Chief Incumbent of the Abhayaramaya Temple in Narahenpita Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thera met with Rajapaksa yesterday. The Premier and representatives of several trade unions such as the CTU and the CTSU were scheduled to meet last morning to discuss the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. However, CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe, on 10 October, said that the Premier’s office had informed that the relevant discussion had been postponed indefinitely. However, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Media Unit stated that representatives of several teachers’ trade unions accompanied by Ven. Ananda Thera had met with the Premier last afternoon. However, late last evening, it was confirmed to The Morning by both the CTU and the CTSU, that the discussion on the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue which was postponed, was rescheduled to be held today (12) at 12 noon at Temple Trees under the patronage of the Premier. Representatives of several teachers’ unions commented on the incident yesterday, prior to the announcement of today’s meeting. Speaking at a media briefing, CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe charged that only members of several teachers’ unions supporting the Government had been called for the said discussion. He said that no one representing the Teachers’ and Principals’ Trade Union Alliance (TPTUA), the main party in the ongoing trade union action, was present at the meeting. Jayasinghe, however, said that any intermediary party could intervene to find a solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue, but that such solutions should be acceptable. He added that the Government is requested to find a solution to this issue before 21 October, the date on which some schools are to be reopened. Meanwhile, CTU President Priyantha Fernando also expressed his views regarding the discussion held between Rajapaksa and the representatives of several teachers’ trade unions. “Considering yesterday’s incident, it is very clear that the Government is trying to sabotage the trade union struggle that is going on instead of solving our problems. However, no one can stop this struggle. The only solution is to provide us with an acceptable solution to our issues,” he added. Nearly 30 teachers’ and principals’ trade unions have embarked on a number of trade union actions, including withdrawal from all physical and online teaching activities and examination-related duties, demanding a solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue since 12 July 2021. Meanwhile, an all-party meeting organised by the National Movement Against Teacher-Principal Salary Anomalies, was held at the Abhayarama Temple on 6 October to discuss the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. The meeting was attended by Ven. Ananda Thera, Opposition and Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Leader Sajith Premadasa, former President and incumbent Government Parliamentarian Maithripala Sirisena, former Speaker of Parliament Karu Jayasuriya, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Opposition MP, President’s Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran, and a large number of civil society representatives. When questioned about the purpose of the said Movement at that time, Ven. Ananda Thera told The Morning that the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue was discussed at length and that the Movement would be working as an intermediary group between the authorities and the teachers in the process of resolving the salary anomaly issue. “We don’t intend to launch any struggles, but we hope to intervene to find a fair solution to this issue since we can never ignore the education of millions of students in the country. Accordingly, we hope to discuss this with the relevant parties in the coming days,” he said.

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