Talks fail, university strike continues

June 10, 2012, 9:21 pm

by Dasun Edirisinghe, the island

The strike launched by the university non academic staff demanding rectification of their salary anomalies enters its sixth day today as the latest discussion with the Labour Commissioner and University Grants Commission (UGC) officials failed on Saturday.

Media spokesman of the University Trade Union Joint Committee Wijayathilake Jayasinghe told The Island that the next discussion with the Labour Commissioner would be held tomorrow (12).

President of the Inter University Trade Union Federation R. M. Chandrapala said that successive governments from 2007 broke the promise to rectify salary anomalies.

"Finally present Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake too cheated us," he said.

Chandrapala said now higher education ministry officials including minister Dissanayake said they cannot solve the salary problems and passing the ball to the National Salaries and Cadre Commission and the Finance Ministry. But the Minister and the secretary to the ministry earlier promised to solve the problem immediately.

UGC Chairman Prof. Gamini Samaranayake said that even university drivers got a salary increase than the UGC secretary.

"UGC Secretary got only 11% salary increment, but university drivers got 13% increment," he said.

Prof. Samaranayake said that the non academic staff including administrative officers tried to sabotage final year examinations being held these days.

Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake told a press conference on Thursday that they would not hold talks on outstanding issues while a strike was on.

Secretary to the Higher Education Ministry Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne said that ministry could not increase salaries or rectify anomalies on its own.

"It was totally up to the Finance Ministry and the National Salaries and Cadre Commission, we can only act as a coordinator", Dr. Navaratne said.