• Cabinet received Sub-Committee report yesterday
• Trade unions unaware of contents  

BY Buddhika Samaraweera

The decision on whether to continue or abandon the trade union actions that have been initiated by the teachers and principals trade unions will be taken after considering the recommendations of the Cabinet Sub-Committee appointed to look into the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue, said the trade union representatives.

The report of the said Cabinet Sub-Committee comprised of Mass Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma, Industries Minister Wimal Weerawansa, Environment Minister Mahinda Amaraweera and Tourism Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, was presented to the Cabinet of Ministers meeting yesterday (23) evening. 

The Sub-Committee held several discussions with the representatives of the teachers and principals trade unions during the last few days and had reportedly handed over its recommendations to the Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa too.

However, when contacted by The Morning, the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that they are awaiting the implementation of the recommendations made by the previously appointed ‘Subodhini’ Committee. He also said that it is problematic that they were not informed of what the Sub-Committee’s recommendations would be.

“What we have requested of the Government is to implement the Subodhini Committee’s recommendations. That is the only progressive solution to the salary anomaly issue under the present circumstances. Sometimes, they might not be able to implement it all at once. That is not a problem for us. What we ask the Government is to announce their stance on the implementation of those recommendations,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Ceylon Teachers Service Union (CTSU) has also stated that they would decide on the future course of the trade union actions based on the aforesaid Sub-Committee’s recommendations. Speaking to The Morning, the CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said that unless the Sub-Committee has made some progressive recommendations to resolve the issue of the teacher-principal salary anomalies, they would continue all the trade union actions. 

Attempts to contact the Sub-Committee members Amaraweera, Weerawansa and Alahapperuma to inquire about the content of the report, proved futile. 

 

Nearly 30 teachers and principals trade unions have embarked on a number of trade union actions, 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 from 12 July until further notice, in protest over the arrest of a group of trade unionists and student activists, including Stalin, and the lack of a solution to the teacher-principal salary anomaly issue. In addition to online teaching activities, the teachers and principals had 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. Also, nearly 5,800 teachers and principals had decided to withdraw from practical examination duties of the GCE Ordinary Level (O/L) Examination that commenced 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.