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Teachers’ Trade Unions decry Wimal’s ‘racist’ claim

01 Sep 2021

Image Caption: Minister Wimal Weerawansa at yesterday's (1) press conference
  • Minister claims online teaching ongoing in North, C’mbo, pvt. schools
  • 230K out of 240K teachers support strike: CTU 
By Buddhika Samaraweera  The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) yesterday (1) alleged that it is being unfairly painted as racist by the recent statement from Minister of Industries Wimal Weerawansa – who is a member of the Cabinet Sub-Committee appointed to look into the teacher-principal salary anomaly – that online teaching activities are currently taking place in the Northern Province, despite trade union action to withdraw from all teaching activities.  Speaking to The Morning, the CTU President Priyantha Fernando yesterday noted that this statement may deliver the erroneous idea to the public that the said trade union actions by teachers’ and principals’ trade unions – taken to demand solutions to issues in the education sector, especially the teacher-principal salary issue – are aimed only at a select group of people.  Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo yesterday, Weerawansa had said that as far as he is aware, online teaching activities are still being carried out in the Northern Province, in leading schools in Colombo, and also in private schools, despite the ongoing union action.  However, Fernando explained that out of nearly 240,000 teachers across the country, about 230,000 are currently supporting the ongoing trade union actions.  “Teachers in private schools are not involved in the trade union actions. Usually, in every sector, there are some individuals who do not support trade union actions. Similarly, when considering our trade union actions, there are about 5% who continue to teach without supporting it. But it is not something that is aimed at a particular area,” he claimed.  When inquired about the allegation made by the CTU, Weerawansa told The Morning: “I said that as far as I know, online teaching is taking place in leading schools in Colombo, private schools, and in schools in the Northern Province. Where is the racism in that? If the teachers in the Northern Province are teaching, we thank them for that.”  Nearly 30 teachers and principals trade unions had decided to withdraw from all teaching activities from 12 July in protest over the lack of a solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. 

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