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Teachers seek audience with Dinesh G.

25 Aug 2021

  • Warn of major crisis if cabinet solution ‘unacceptable’
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The teachers’ and principals’ trade unions have emphasised that Minister of Education Dinesh Gunawardena should consult them before making his scheduled observations at the forthcoming cabinet meeting regarding the salary anomaly issue of teachers and principals. Speaking at a media briefing yesterday (25), Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin warned that if the Cabinet provides a solution to their problems that is not acceptable to the trade unions, it could lead to a serious crisis. “It is learnt that Gunawardena will make his observations on these issues at the forthcoming cabinet meeting, but if he does not discuss with the trade unions and instead makes unilateral observations to the Cabinet, that could cause a serious issue. If the Government is to make a decision regarding the issue merely based on Gunawardena’s observations, we will not be able to accept such solutions,” he added. Stalin claimed that the report of the Cabinet Subcommittee, which was recently appointed to look into the salary anomaly issue, had been submitted to the Cabinet without even informing the trade unions of its contents. He added that the trade unions should be made aware as to how the Government is going to solve their issues. Accordingly, he said that during a discussion held between trade unions yesterday, it was decided that Gunawardena should discuss the matter with the trade unions. “We hope that Gunawardena will grant us an opportunity to meet him today (26) or tomorrow (27),” he noted. Attempts to contact Gunawardena to inquire into his response to the trade unions were not successful. Nearly 30 teachers’ and principals’ trade unions have embarked on a number of trade union actions, demanding a solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue, the provision of facilities for teachers and students to carry out online education activities, and several other issues. The 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 In addition, teachers and principals had withdrawn from duties related to sending applications for examinations, including the GCE Advanced Level (A/L) examination, online.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 as well as from duties related to the GCE A/L and Grade Five Scholarship examinations that are to be held in November 2021. Subsequently, a Cabinet Subcommittee was appointed to look into the salary anomaly issue earlier this month and the report of said Subcommittee – comprising Minister of Mass Media Dullas Alahapperuma, Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa, Minister of Environment Mahinda Amaraweera, and Minister of Tourism Prasanna Ranatunga – was presented to the cabinet meeting on 23 August. However, its discussion has been postponed until the next cabinet meeting. Cabinet Spokesman Alahapperuma recently stated that the Government’s stance on the salary anomaly issue would be announced at the forthcoming cabinet media briefing.

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