The Federation of University Teachers' Associations (FUTA) said that it is committed to safeguarding the country's university system, refuting allegations of creating chaos for personal gain.
Recently, speaking at a press conference, the State Minister of Higher Education Dr. Suren Raghavan alleged that the FUTA is behind this situation. He claimed that, "Since 2010, they (FUTA) have continuously increased their salaries and are now attempting to raise the salaries of non-academic employees while imposing various conditions. In their latest letter, they stated that university funds should not be used to resolve this issue. How can they impose such conditions? Universities are funded by public tax money, not their private assets. They cannot be allowed to fall under the control of a professors’ mafia. Their professional goal should be to advance education and secure the future of our children."
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (8), the FUTA Media Spokesperson Senior Lecturer Charudaththe Illangasinghe emphasised that the FUTA will not endorse any proposals that could potentially harm the university system. "The FUTA is dedicated to protecting the university system and is not in favour of any measures that could damage its integrity," Illangasinghe stated.
Addressing recent controversies, Illangasinghe clarified that the FUTA is not opposed to the demands of non-academic university staff and stated that the responsibility to resolve these issues lies with the Government. "It is the responsibility of the Government to resolve the matter. But, these solutions must not harm the university system," he said. He further noted that the Ministry of Education had earlier proposed an allowance for non-academic staff, funded by money earned by universities through various research and academic activities. These funds, Illangasinghe noted, are intended for the benefit of students. "These funds are raised by conducting various researches and by engaging in academic activities. They are meant for the benefit of students. Allocating this money to pay salaries could set a bad precedent, which any future Government could exploit," he explained.
He stressed that the FUTA's stance is that while they are not against finding solutions for non-academic staff issues, these solutions should not come at the cost of the university system. "If the relevant State Minister claims that the FUTA is blocking the solutions given to the non-academics' issues, we must clarify that we are not against solutions but only emphasise that they don’t harm the university system," Illangasinghe noted.