• Uni Exec. Officers’ Asso. Advisory Secy. Sampath Udayanga notes need to address salary & allowance related anomalies which are purportedly being turned a blind eye to by the authorities 

Although the issues faced by university non-academic employees are seen as a mere salary or allowance-related issue, it is an outcome of a significant disregard of those that keep the university system running. Universities cannot function without the services of non-academic employees, and therefore, the issues faced by non-academic employees, which have remained unresolved for years, should receive the authorities’ immediate attention. 

That would prevent a debilitating crisis in the university system, and would encourage the existing employees to remain in the job which they find at present to be unsatisfactory.

This was noted by the University Executive Officers' Association (UEOA) Advisory Secretary Sampath Udayanga, in an interview with The Daily Morning, where he shed light on the context within which the ongoing strikes by university non-academic employees take place. Opining that what they are demanding is a solution to existing salary and allowance-related anomalies, he said that the authorities should not take the university system’s issues lightly.

Below are excerpts from the interview:

What are the main demands presented by university non-academic employees or the UEOA?

As the UEOA, we declared an indefinite strike beginning 3 May. This strike has focused on two matters. The first one is that we are facing a pay cut since 2016. Public sector employees’ salary was increased by Rs. 10,000 by then-Government. This increased amount was added to the basic salary recorded as of 31 December, 2015. However, the relevant circular created a huge salary anomaly within the university system. As a percentage, this Rs. 10,000 salary increase is equal to a 107% salary increment. However, the salary increase for the university sector was merely 92%, which means that there was a 15% difference. We raised this issue with various parties including various ministers, ministries, officials, the Management Services Department, and the University Grants Commission. When a discussion was held with former Prime Minister (and incumbent Government Parliamentarian) Mahinda Rajapaksa, he ordered the Treasury Secretary to rectify this issue, and as a result, a sub-committee was appointed to look into this issue. The report it submitted provided observations, findings, and recommendations, which recognised the salary issue. It was discussed on various occasions. 

In the present context, Education Minister Dr. Susil Premajayantha presented a Cabinet paper seeking to rectify this issue. It was again decided to send to the Treasury the relevant observations and recommendations. This keeps dragging, and we seek an effective solution. The second issue concerns the monthly compensation allowance (MCA). Recently, the academic staff’s research allowance was increased. In 2016, directives had been issued that if something is to be increased in the university system, it should be applicable to everyone equally. The MCA has not been increased since 2017, and therefore, we are seeking a 25% increase of the MCA. The lowest level (non-academic) employees receive as little as Rs. 50,000 as the monthly salary. It is difficult for them to bear their expenses while inflation is skyrocketing. The university system has been neglected and is facing a crisis. The university system is the only place where ordinary students can obtain a higher education, and therefore, it should be provided with the necessary facilities and be improved. Any new steps (in the education sector) such as opening private universities should take place after the issues faced by the students and the staff of the universities are resolved. But, instead of paying attention to those issues, other less important things are being done. I am not against private universities. However, State-owned higher education institutes’ issues should be addressed first. Instead of curtailing the opportunities available for children in order to fulfil various parties’ personal interests, what needs to be done is protecting the State-owned universities which are there for the public.

In addition to salary and allowance-related issues, overall, what sort of professional constraints do university non-academic employees face?

Although there are opportunities for research, they have been curtailed. In addition, recruitments for the university system have been paused for years through a Government circular. The biggest issue now is that employees are not able to receive promotions, because promotions can be given only if new employees are recruited. At the same time, there is a severe shortage of lower-level staff. Many have left the country due to the economic crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic, and this includes teachers and executive employees in the university system who left because the salary was insufficient. Only we are left. We are facing huge issues because of this, as we have had to cover several divisions. A person who was previously required to perform two or three tasks is now required to perform seven to eight tasks. 

Recently, the Federation of University Teachers Associations (FUTA) has commented about university non-academic employees’ issues. How do you see your issues in comparison to the academic staff’s demands, some of which have been resolved?

When university executive officers with expert knowledge, teachers, and employees with experience in the university system leave the country, it places the university system in great danger. I don’t understand what the authorities are trying to do without providing solutions to these issues. When the salary of one party is increased by around 40%, it is unfair. We have no objections against increasing the salaries of the academic staff. But, it has to take place in a just manner. The university system is managed by not only that party. The academic staff’s fight was to have the taxes imposed on their salary removed. But, what the authorities did was increase the academic staff’s salaries without increasing their fellow (non-academic) officials’ salaries, which in turn led to a massive crisis. 

We supported the academic staff’s fight to win their demands. In the present situation, the FUTA’s duty is to extend its support to our struggle in the same manner that we extended our support to the struggle of the academic staff. Teachers cannot open doors, or provide approvals or recommendations concerning administrative matters. Such tasks are performed by executive officers. They of course provide a big contribution for academic activities. However, academic activities are one thing and administrative and management activities are another thing. Administrative activities coming to a halt means that the entire system becomes paralysed. 

What is the nature of the impact of the non-academic employees’ union action on university students?

The relevant authorities and the Government should take the responsibility for the present situation in which students have been affected. At present, all exams have come to a halt. Over 50% of academic activities have also stopped. In addition, administrative and management activities, including those pertaining to financial management, which keep the university system running, have come to a halt. In addition, there are a number of things that our workers take care of voluntarily. This includes farm animals and samples of certain invaluable things kept in laboratories. It is our workers that keep them safe. Our workers stopping work pushes the entire university system into a crisis, and already, a loss of billions of rupees has occurred. Without letting it continue, the President and the Prime Minister should take the necessary measures to provide an immediate solution to these issues.

The Government recently unveiled a policy plan for the education sector which concerns higher education. As university non-academic staff, what sort of policy interventions do you think Sri Lanka should pay attention to in order to improve the university system?

Policy decisions have to be taken for a country to develop. However, before taking those policy decisions, the issues existing in the education system should be identified. Those (new) policy decisions should be implemented only after providing solutions to those issues. That is how any country can develop. In countries considered developed, employees don’t engage in professional struggles like this. Instead, when they inform at the institutional level that they have a certain issue, within a short period, those issues get resolved. In our country however, workers take to the streets as a last resort because their grievances don’t receive attention for years. In other countries, there are other effective systems to address (workers’) issues. Some systems are automated. When employees present their proposals or grievances, those governments are bound to do the needful and within a brief period. When such systems are in place, employees get motivated to work, and developing a country is then not a challenge. But, in Sri Lanka, the system is such that workers are demotivated through various things such as pay cuts and other professional issues. It is the trade unions that have stopped these issues from leading to disasters. In Sri Lanka, nothing has been handed on a plate, and it is through struggles that workers had to win their rights. When people take a stance seeking solutions to their issues, what needs to be done is not suppressing them, but talking to them and solving their issues. It is to address people’s issues that Governments have been appointed.

In your opinion, what are the pressing issues faced by the country’s State-owned university system at present?

The two main issues at present are the pay cut and the MCA-related issues. In addition, the recruitment of employees has been stopped, both executive employees and employees in the lower levels. Because of that, there is a crisis brewing internally. In such a context where (university non-academic) employees are working with no job satisfaction, it is impossible to provide services effectively. It is the university system that produces graduates of various fields. But, the provision of the necessary infrastructure and various other resources has been severely limited. The Government says that there is a surplus of employees (in the public sector). But, the university system’s situation is the complete opposite.