University dons lose pay for 100 days

November 21, 2012, 10:45 pm , the island

by Dasun Edirisinghe

The University Grants Commission (UGC) yesterday declared that Circular 890 of 7th June, 2007, which stipulates that workers are not entitled to salaries during their strikes couldn’t be rescinded under any circumstances.

A senior UGC official was responding to the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) demand that circular in question be repealed in keeping with the agreement university teachers had entered into with Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa.

The FUTA is pushing for the removal of eight circulars.

The official told The Island that of them, three would be rescinded shortly, whereas two could only be amended. According to him, a decision couldn’t be taken on the remaining two circulars without consulting the Labour Commissioner and the Treasury.

Having suspended its 100-day-long strike, the FUTA warned that the government would have to face the consequences in case of its failure to honour its promises. The UGC said that a committee had inquired into the FUTA’s demands and examined the issues at hand closely before a decision was taken not to do away with Circular 890 of 7th June, 2007.

The UGC is of the view that there is no reason to rescind the circular No. 890 which dealt with trade union action. According to the circular, employees would not be paid for the days they were on strike.

A senior UGC official pointed out that it was a recommendation of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Supreme Court did not grant leave to proceed when the validity of circular No. 890 was challenged before it by a trade union.

The UGC had decided to refer the issues raised with regard to circular No. 955 of 28th April, 2011 on reckoning of allowances for the purpose of computation of Universities Provident Fund, Employees Trust Fund and Payment of Gratuity and circular No. 990 of 31st July, 2012 on payment of a research allowance to the academic staff who are on study leave, to the General Treasury and the Commissioner General of Labour for approval, Prof. Samaranayake said.

He said the UGC had also decided to refer the issues raised with regard to circular no. 805 of 10th July 2002 on utilization of income derived from violation of agreements and bonds entered into with universities by teachers who have hone on study to the Treasury for its observations.

Circulars No. 896 of 8th July 2008 on sabbatical leave to teachers and officers and No. 959 of 12th July 2011 on granting study leave to teachers have been amended.

AUGC letter dated Nov. 22, 2010 on unauthorized media presence at universities/higher educational institutions had been withdrawn, Prof. Samaranayake said, adding that the circular No. 956 of May 3, 2011 on clarification regarding the position of the head of department of study in universities, campuses and the heads of departments in higher educational institutions had already been withdrawn by letter dated July 25, 2011, he said, noting that establishment circular letter No. 10/2011 of May 6, 2011 on the same subject had also been withdrawn. The circular No. 991 of August 6, 2012 on the UGC nominees appointed to serve on the selection committees had been withdrawn, he said.

The UGC informed all Vice Chancellors, Rectors of the Campuses and Directors of the Higher Educational Institutes of its decision in a letter with copies to Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa, Higher Education Minister S. B. Dissanayake, Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary of the Higher Education Ministry Dr. Sunil Jayantha Navaratne and FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri.

When contacted for comment, FUTA President Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri said that he had received the copy of the letter, which he said would be discussed by the FUTA Executive Committee shortly.