Stalin insists teachers won’t settle for less

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The overwhelming majority of principals and teachers did not turn up for work yesterday despite a circular issued on Sunday by Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Prof. Kapila C.K. Perera asking academic and non-academic staff to report for work.

Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary, Joseph Stalin said that members of 23 education unions and a significant number of those with no links to any unions would continue their strike until their demands were met.

“There is a union action to pressure the government to solve our salary issues and abandon the Kotelawala Defence University Bill. A Cabinet Paper was to be presented yesterday (02) to address our issues and we will discuss the matter with the Minister of Education today (03,)” Stalin said.

However, the Ministry Secretary has issued a letter, ED 09/12/06/01/02/2021, directing academic and non-academic staff members to turn up at work, he added

Although they were asked to come, schools had not even been cleaned. It was a hostile act and the overwhelming majority of principals and teachers didn’t turn up at schools, Stalin said.

“The Education Secretary earlier appointed a Committee whose recommendations have been accepted by everyone, including the unions. I think, a sane response is to implement these recommendations and solve this crisis. But the Secretary, for some reason, decided to undermine the Committee he himself appointed,” Stalin said.

Stalin said that Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa himself had agreed that the union demands were just. Therefore, the Ministry of Education must do their role to resolve this crisis as soon as possible, he said.

Prof. Perera was not immediately available for comment.