University crisis: SB accused of undermining Basil’s settlement bid

September 16, 2012, 8:51 pm 

by Dasun Edirisinghe, The Island

Striking university teachers yesterday accused Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake of trying to sabotage ongoing efforts, by Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, to re-commence academic activities in universities.

President of the Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri told The Island that last Friday’s discussion between Minister Basil Rajapaksa and the FUTA went on well, though Minister Dissanayake was bent on disrupting them. Dr. Dewasiri alleged that the Higher Education Minister was hindering their efforts.

An irate Dewasiri said that the FUTA wouldn’t succumb to Minister Dissanayake’s tactics and would pursue its strategy until it achieved its demands. Their main demands were allocation of 6 per cent of the GDP to education, consult university teachers when taking decisions on higher education and a pay hike. The FUTA launched its ongoing strike on July 4.

"We called for a meeting with Treasury Secretary Dr. P. B. Jayasundara and all Vice Chancellors of universities at Friday’s meeting," he said, adding that minister Rajapaksa agreed to arrange a meeting with them. The senior academic said that they would be called for the next meeting shortly.

The FUTA rejected the voluntarily arbitration offered by the Labour Department last week to solve the problem. Dr. Dewasiri said minister Rajapaksa also agreed to cancel the arbitration process.