Vice Chancellors tell FUTA why it shouldn’t strike

June 28, 2012, 9:33 pm , the island

The Committee of Vice-Chancellors and Directors has said that because academics have received substantial increase in remuneration and other benefits they shouldn’t disrupt universities.

The Committee was responding to Federation of University Teachers’ (FUTA) threat to launch an indefinite strike on July 4, 2012 demanding a salary increase and allocation of 6 per cent of the GDP to education. Chairman of the Committee Prof. Susirith Mendis has said that there is still an opportunity for negotiations with the government.

The following is the statement issued by Prof. Mendis consequent to a special meeting of the Committee held on Monday.

* Since the non academic trade union action has already disrupted academic activities of the universities, the impending trade union action by FUTA will continue to disrupt and seriously aggravate the situation adversely affecting free education;

* This will delay the admission of new students to the universities as well as the graduation of university students;

* This will result in waste of valuable academic expertise and other resources of the universities;

* This will seriously tarnish the credibility of the academics in the eyes of the public;

* This will erode the public confidence and superior positions maintained by the national universities as the premier providers of higher education in Sri Lanka and

* The academics have recently received substantial increases in remuneration and other benefits.