Talks to end education strike fail

Today a vehicle parade to Colombo by strikers

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Discussion between the Minister of Education, Prof. G. L. Peiris and representatives of principals’ and teachers’ unions ended without an agreement yesterday, Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin told The Island yesterday.

The meeting was also attended by Ministers Bandula Gunawardane and Gamini Lokuge.

“We were informed that the Cabinet had decided that the salary anomaly would be addressed through the coming budget. We asked what the government’s solution in the 2022 budget would be, but they had no answer for that. We asked the Ministers to implement the Committee Report presented to the Cabinet on 22 July 2021. Then the Ministers said they would discuss the matter again on 09 August,” Stalin said.

The CTU General Secretary said that they had met Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on 27 July and that the PM had promised to solve the issue using a Cabinet Paper. A meeting with the Minister of Education too was scheduled for 08 August.

“The meeting was another indication that solving the issues of principals and teachers isn’t a priority to the government. However, the Minister said he would scrap 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 to work,” he said.

Stalin said they had decided to continue their strike until their issues were addressed. The overwhelming majority of 16,000 principals and 240,000 teachers are behind the union action, he said.

“Teachers from various parts of the island will come to Colombo today (04) in vehicles to demonstrate,” he said.

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