Teachers’ talks with PM end inconclusively

By Rathindra Kuruwita

Talks between Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and representatives of the teachers unions had ended inconclusively yesterday, Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) head Joseph Stalin told The Island .

During the meeting, Premier Rajapaksa told the unionists that a ministerial subcommittee had been appointed to address the teachers’ issues and that the unionists could hold discussions with it.

“We rejected this. Already, a committee of five additional secretaries of the Ministry of Education have handed over recommendations on this issue and we said that those proposals could be implemented. We also said that the government could make teaching profession a closed service and address our longstanding issues. The Prime minister said that he would present a Cabinet Paper on 02 August on this. However, we will not stop our strike until a solution is given,” Stalin said.

Meanwhile, Premier Rajapaksa said that he would discuss the issues faced by principals and teachers at the next Cabinet meeting and find solutions. He said he believed that the salary anomalies that plagued the service should be addressed and that the service should be a closed one.

 “The only problem is that given the economic situation in the country it would be hard to do this at once. However, I will discuss this next week and find a solution that all of us can agree on,” Rajapaksa said.