Teachers, principals to strike on Dec. 04

November 13, 2012, 10:03 pm , The Island

by Dasun Edirisinghe

Principals and teachers of government schools yesterday announced that they would stage a token strike on Dec. 04 if the education ministry failed to grant their demands immediately.

Spokesman for the Principals and Teachers Trade Union Joint Committee Mahinda Jayasinghe said that they had taken the decision to strike at a special convention held at the Public Library in Colombo with the participation of teachers and principals countrywide. "The Education Ministry invited us to a discussion on the eve of our convention," he said.

Jayasinghe said that they would participate in the discussion on Nov. 16, but go ahead with scheduled trade union action if an acceptable solution was not given.

Principals and teachers marched to the Education Ministry on Oct. 22 to force authorities to grant their six demands, he said.

Their main demand, Jayasinghe said, was the implementation of the recommendations made by the Cabinet in 2008 to rectify anomalies in the salaries of principals and teachers.

He said that they also demanded immediate solutions to problems as regards their promotions and salary arrears, implementation of the national teachers’ transfer policy, allocation of funds for distress and property loans, allocation of six per cent of the GDP for education and an end to political interferences in the education sphere.

"We held two rounds of discussions with Deputy Education Minister Vijithamuni Zoysa, Education Secretary Gotabhaya Jayaratne and two additional secretaries during the last two months, but those discussions had ended inconclusively," Jayasinghe said.

Jayasinghe said that Education Minister Bandula Gunawardena had repeatedly denied them a hearing, but finally invited the alliance to a discussion in a bid to stop their trade union action.

Principals and teachers had expected solutions to their problems from Budget 2013, but in vain, he said.

When contacted for comment, Education Ministry Secretary Gotabhaya Jayaratne said, his ministry had invited the teachers to a meeting with the minister.

"We expect to arrive at a solution at the meeting," the Secretary said.

The Teachers’ and Principals’ Trade Union Joint Committee, includes Ceylon Teachers’ Union, Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union, Independent Teachers’ Union, All Ceylon United Teachers’ Union, National Education Employees Union, Common Education Professionals Union, All Ceylon Principals’ Union and Sri Lanka National Principals’ Union.