Talks with govt: This is only the breaking of ice – FUTA

October 7, 2012, 11:23 pm , The Island


by Dasun Edisiringhe

Saturday’s talks with Economic Development Minister only helped the resumption of stalled talks between the striking university teachers and the government and it was too early to predict the ending of the strike, which has passed three months, President of the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations Dr Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri says.

Another round of talks with a view to ending the strike would be held today with Finance Secretary, Dr. P. B. Jayasundera, Dr. Dewasiri said. If the Finance Secretary was agreeable to a solution which could be taken back to the FUTA membership, then a date for ending the strike action too could be announced in a couple of days. Time and venue for this discussion had not been fixed as yet, the FUTA chief said.

"We are clear in our demands but the government is not clear of what it could give or not. There are various hindrances to end this struggle and these hindrances are within the government ranks," he said.

Neither Higher Education Minister S.B . Dissanayake nor any senior official of his ministry or the University Grants Commission attended the Saturday’s meeting. The government side in the talks was represented by Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Director General of the Economic Development Ministry Dhamma Dissanayake, Charitha Herath and Jagath Wellawatte.