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Teacher-principal trade unions to obtain multi sectoral support

09 Sep 2021

  • Alleges Govt. attempting to turn parents against teachers
BY Buddhika Samaraweera Teachers’ and principals’ trade unions (TUs) are to meet with several parties including religious leaders, parents, artistes, and university teachers within the course of next week to obtain their support for the ongoing trade union actions that have been initiated by teachers and principals, demanding solutions to the issues in the education sector, particularly the teacher-principal salary anomalies. Speaking at a media briefing yesterday (8), Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU) General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said that they hoped to garner the support of all parties, including parents, for the trade union struggle that has been launched due to the Government’s continued delay in resolving the salary anomaly issue. “Currently, the Government and certain pro-Government parties are attempting to create a hostile attitude among parents towards teachers. Accordingly, we decided as trade unions to meet with parents and several other parties at the local level to clarify the issue, and to seek their support to force the Government to find a solution,” he added. He further added that they had also decided to hold discussions with religious leaders, artistes, and several other groups, including university lecturers and professors in the coming week. “We will make the ongoing trade union struggle a united struggle with the support of all possible parties so that the Government will not be able to neglect these issues.” Nearly 30 teachers’ and principals’ trade unions have embarked on a number of trade union actions since 12 July 2021, demanding a solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue, the provision of facilities for teachers and students to carry out online education activities, and several other issues. The trade unions had decided to withdraw from all online teaching activities in protest over the lack of a solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. In addition to online teaching activities, teachers and principals had withdrawn from duties related to sending applications for examinations including the General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCE A/L) examination online. They had also withdrawn from teaching activities at regional learning centres recently established by the Education Ministry. Also, nearly 5,800 teachers and principals had decided to withdraw from practical examination-related duties of the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) examination that commenced on 26 July, and also from duties related to the GCE A/L and Grade Five Scholarship examinations that are to be held in November 2021. Education Minister Dinesh Gunawardena was unavailable for comment on the matter.  


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