FUTA takes their case to Mahanayakes

October 1, 2012, 11:00 pm

By Cryil Wimalasurendre, The Island

KANDY – The most venerable Mahanayaka Theras of Malwatta and Asgiriya, who met a delegation form the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA), yesterday afternoon expressed their willingness to forward the striking dons’ demands to President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Malwatte Mahanayake Tibbatuwawe Sri Siddharatha Sumangala asked the FUTA delegates to send the prelates a written request containing the demands that should be forwarded to the President.

He asked whether FUTA whether some kind of compromise was not possible.

The prelates told the FUTA deputation that they were willing to mediate in the issue particularly because the trade union action of the university teachers affected the children who were seeking higher education.

A majority of the entrants to the universities were underprivileged children. They were affected by the strike of the University teachers, the prelates said.

The FUTA delegation was led by deputy president of the association Ven. Dambara Amila Thera, who told Mahanayake Theras that the dispute had dragged on for over three months without a solution because the Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake remained intransigent.

The deputation told the prelates that FUTA preferred to hold talks with Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa since he had come out with proposals that could be agreed upon for a negotiated settlement.

Even the Secretary to the Finance Ministry Dr. P. B. Jaysundara had been flexible during talks the FUTA held with him previously, the FUTA delegates said.

The figures of salaries paid to the university dons, claimed by Higher Education Minister were wrong, the deputation told the prelates.

They said that FUTA did not demand the allocation of six percent of GDP for education overnight.

The deputation added that the university teachers were not ready to return to work or evaluate the GCE A/L examination answer scripts while they were on strike.

Prof. Ven. Hanguranketha Dheerananda Thera together with Ven. Dr. Dambara Amila Thera, Prof. Nawaratne Bandara, Prof. Rohan Fernando, Dr. Terrence Madujith, Dr. Jeevaka Samankumara Dr. Anurakumara, Dr. Rangana Alwis and several others represented the FUTA.