FUTA – Mervyn meeting to break deadlock

By Damith Wickremasekara, the sundaytimes

The Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA), disappointed over the outcome of the negotiations with a committee headed by President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, has agreed to a meeting with Public Relations Minister Mervyn Silva to find a solution.

This was after the minister has sought an appointment with the members of the FUTA to discuss the demands of the academics. “The minister called me last Thursday and said he wanted to meet us in his capacity as Public Relations Minister and we have agreed to meet him tomorrow at the Colombo University,” FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Devasiri told the Sunday Times.

He said the academics had decided to meet the minister as the previous attempts to resolve the issue including at a meeting with the President’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga also failed to bring about any results. He said that even Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake had failed to resolve the issues of the academics.

“We will be trying to find out what Minister Silva could do to resolve the issues,” he said. Minister Silva told the Sunday Times that he would try his best to resolve the issues of the academics. “As the Public Relations Minister I decided to intervene as the strike has crippled the functions of the universities. I am not a person who promises things which I cannot do,” he said. Depending on the demands he would be able to take the matter up with the President, Mr. Silva said.

Among the demands of the academics has been a demand for a salary increase and an increase of the budgetary allocations for education.