Non-academics to strike while negotiating

February 28, 2012, 10:00 pm , The Island.

by Dasun Edirisinghe

University non-academic staff would strike today against the government’s delay in rectifying their salary anomalies, as yesterday’s discussion with Higher Education Ministry officials failed.

President of the Inter University Trade Union Federation R. M. Chandrapala told ‘The Island’ that the two-hour-long discussion had ended inconclusively.

"Higher Education Ministry officials referred us to the National Salaries and Cadre Commission again," he said, adding they would meet the NSCC at 2.00 pm today while on the trade union action.

The trade unionist said that the ministry had asked them to suspend trade union action but they would not heed that request as the government had taken them for a ride previously.

Secretary to the Ministry of Higher Education, Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne told The Island that the discussion was fruitful and non-academic staff agreed to put their trade union action on hold. "We gave them an assurance that their problem would be solved within three weeks," Navaratne said.