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Other sectors join teachers’ struggle

12 Aug 2021

  • Satyagraha at Independence Square yesterday
  • Talks with Govt./Opp. political parties from today
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Representatives of the teachers’ and principals’ trade unions, along with representatives of a number of trade unions in several other sectors, staged a satyagraha protest action in Colombo yesterday (12) to oppose what they claim to be the Government’s continuous failure to address the problems in the education sector, including the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. Representatives of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU), the Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU), and other teachers’ and principals’ trade unions as well as those representing trade unions within the sectors of electricity, ports, railways, health, water supply and drainage, management services, estates, transport, and telecommunications, took part in the satyagraha which was held in front of the Independence Square, Colombo 7, yesterday. Speaking to the media during the satyagraha, CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that it is a very positive development that trade unions affiliated to other sectors had also joined the teachers and principals struggle to win their demands in this manner. He added that if the Government continues to delay resolving their issues, it is planned to launch more trade union actions in the future. The trade unions have also planned to hold discussions with political parties represented in the Parliament and to initiate a campaign to obtain signatures for a public petition. Accordingly, the teachers’ and principals’ trade unions have decided to hold discussions with all government and parliamentary opposition political parties from today (13) onwards to discuss their issues while it has also been decided to continue discussions with trade unions representing other sectors to seek their support for the ongoing trade union actions of the teachers and principals. According to Fernando, signatures for the aforesaid petition would be obtained from people all over the country from 16 August onwards. Nearly 30 teachers’ and principals’ trade unions had decided to withdraw from all online teaching activities from 12 July until further notice, in protest over the arrest of a group of trade unionists and student activists, including Stalin during a protest in Colombo, and the lack of a solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. In addition to online teaching activities, the teachers and principals had also withdrawn from duties related to sending applications for examinations including the General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level (A/L) examination online. They had also withdrawn from teaching activities at regional learning centres recently established by the Education Ministry in order to facilitate the educational activities of students who do not have adequate facilities to learn online. Also, nearly 5,800 teachers and principals had decided to withdraw from practical examinations-related duties of the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examination that were to commence on 26 July. In addition, they have also decided to withdraw from duties related to the GCE A/L and Grade Five Scholarship examinations that are to be held in November 2021. In addition to the aforesaid trade union actions, teachers and principals had organised protests all over the country to force the Government to look into their issues urgently. However, following the recent calling off of their street protest campaign due to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic situation, teachers’ and principals’ trade unions announced that they would shift their protests to the digital sphere. CTU President Priyantha Fernando told The Morning that the trade unions have decided to organise digital protests as the recent protests conducted across the country to force the Government to address their issues had been suspended due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic situation. Accordingly, there are plans to use social media to protest regarding the issue, he mentioned.  


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