University non-academic workers stage token strike

By Rathindra Kuruwita

The non-academic staff of all 17 state universities held a token strike yesterday against increasing the salaries of only one category of individuals in the higher education sector.

The study allowance for university academics was increased by 25 percent earlier this month.Thirty four unions in the university sector had joined the strike, University Executive Officers’ Association (UEOA), General Secretary, Sampath Udayange said.

He said that a salary anomaly had been created in 2016, and all unions in the university sector had been trying to resolve it for years.

“We have no objections to university academics receiving a 25 percent increase in their study allowance. We just want the Monthly Compensatory Allowance (MCA) to be increased by 25 percent too,” he said.

K. A. L. Richman, Joint Secretary of the Inter University Service Trade Union, said the University Grants Commission staff too were on strike.

“Everyone, from the labourers to engineers attached to universities, are on strike. The university academics deserve an increased study allowance. Usually, when the study allowance increases, the MCA also increases. It didn’t happen this time,” he said.