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GMOA: Teachers’ pay hike, changes in health sector will cause havoc
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The recent salary increase granted to teachers, in violation of the national salaries and wages policy as well as far-reaching changes proposed in the health sector, would cause a catastrophic situation, Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) spokesman Dr. Prasad Colombage said.
Referring to the crippling trade union action resorted to by 18 health sector trade union grouping, alleging salary anomalies as a result of the increase granted to teachers, Dr. Colombage emphasised that the GMOA strongly advised against the move at the very beginning of the teachers’ strike.
The government owed an explanation whether the administration consulted the National Pay Commission (NPC) before the implementation of the new salary structure for teachers, Dr. Colombage said. The NPC should set the record straight, the GMOA official said, urging the government to re-examine the entire salary structure before the situation deteriorated any further.
“The country is experiencing such a difficult period due to the economic crisis in the wake of the continuing Covid-19 epidemic, and it cannot stomach further shocks”, Dr. Colombage said.
The GMOA official questioned the responsibility on the part of both political leadership and the NPC to address the issue at hand rationally. One-time Secretary to the Labour Ministry Upali Wijayaweera heads the NPC.
The NPC consists of Mrs. Chandrani Senaratne, Gotabhaya Jayaratne, Mrs. Sujatha Cooray, Dr. Madura Wehalle, M.S.D. Ranasiri, Dr. Ananda Hapugoda, Sanjeewa Somaratne, Ajith Nayanakantha, Dr. Ravi Liyanage, Sanath Ediriweera, Prof. Ranjith Senarathna, Eng R.M. Amarasekara, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Siri Ranaweera, and W.H. Piyadasa.
Dr. Colombage stressed that if the NPC remained silent when politicians caused mayhem, the outfit should be held accountable for the deterioration caused. Appointed in terms of Article 33 of the Constitution, the NPC is responsible for the national salaries and wages policy including monetary remuneration and various other non-monetary facilities of the Public Services. Provincial Public Service and Armed Services and Special Institutions the salaries of whose staff are met by the Consolidated Fund, State Corporations and Statutory Boards, Government-owned Companies, State Enterprises, State Banks including Central Bank of Sri Lanka and other Financial institutions and all spheres of the Public Service as a whole including all regulatory institutions come within the purview of the NPC.
Responding to another query, Dr. Colombage expressed concern that the current agenda of those at the helm of political power and some trade unions seemed aimed at doing away with the existing system. In other words, they appeared to be working in unison to undermine the very basis of the NPC, Dr. Colombage said. Perhaps all political parties represented in Parliament and public sector trade unions should explain their stand on salary issues, he said.
The real issue was almost all those who threw their weight behind the teachers’ strike were now exploiting the situation. Various other sectors would soon join the campaign, Dr. Colombage said, adding that ‘’the government seemed either ignorant of the danger or allowing further deterioration of the public sector with the ulterior motive of privatizing health services.
Dr. Colombage insisted that the GMOA was not in any way for resolving salary anomalies of teachers or any other profession in any ad hoc manner. However, the NPC maintained at the taxpayers’ expense should have been responsible for managing the overall process, Dr. Colombage said. Unfortunately, the politicians who wanted to be in the driving seat at the expense of the NPC had ruined the setup, the spokesman for the powerful doctors’ union said.
“Irreparable damage has been caused to the national salary and wages policy. It wouldn’t be an easy task to take damage control measures,” he said.
Commenting on the proposed token strike on Monday (21) meant to highlight the crisis caused by the government by acting contrary to the national policy as regards salaries and wages, Dr. Colombage urged the ruling coalition to address the issue at hand or face the consequences. Another matter of serious concern is the push for accommodation of nurses in the proposed University outside the Z score, Dr. Colombage said. That would create an unprecedented crisis as the process would be automatically outside the purview of the University Grants Commission (UGC) once the requirement for Z score was done away with, the GMOA spokesperson said.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
