Kelaniya lecturers refute claim they returned to work

Date:2012-09-26 04:16:00

By Aisha Nazim, Ceylon Today Refuting government’s claim that Kelaniya University dons  have reported to work, academics of the University yesterday  said they are ‘very much’ involved in the ongoing strike. The Federation of  University Teachers’ Association (FUTA)  spokesperson Dr. Mahim Mendis pointed out the medical  faculties of universities did not join the strike action; yet the Higher Education Ministry authorities continued to highlight the fact that  medical faculty academics of the Kelaniya University reported to work  regardless of the trade union action. “The medical faculties never took part in our continuous strike. So stating  that the Kelaniya University academics are not supportive of our demands  is misleading and untrue,” Dr. Mendis told Ceylon Today. Meanwhile, the University of Kelaniya Teachers’ Association (UoKTA) Joint  Secretary Professor Hemantha Sirisena vehemently denied their academics were reporting to work regardless of the collective trade union action. Issuing a media statement, Professor Sirisena asserted that despite the Higher  Education Minister’s statements that academic activities in the Kelaniya University  are functioning smoothly, academic programs including lectures, field work and practical programs  have been completely disrupted due to the strike. “The authorities claim the academic programmes are continuing smoothly is made  by using manipulated statistics in a malicious effort to mislead the general public and university students. This is another malicious effort to jeopardize FUTA’s trade  union action,” he charged. Meanwhile, Dr. Mendis said the medical faculties of the Universities of  Sri Jayawardenapura and Colombo will also join the strike action shortl