News
Strikes galore: Demands centre on salary anomalies
A string of strikes affected the public sector this week, with some of them still continuing while several others mulling over trade union action and protest campaigns.
The key demand of many of the striking unions centres on salary anomalies.
The university non-academic employees’ strike launched on Tuesday is still continuing, with union leaders describing the trade union action as an indefinite strike.
University Trade Union Joint Committee co-leader Dammika Priyantha said more than 20 unions from15 state universities were continuing the strike demanding that the Government resolve the long-standing salary anomaly.
He claimed the strike had affected academic and administrative activities in universities but they had volunteered to maintain security services and science laboratories.
Also launching a strike on Tuesday was the All Island Health Services Union representing attendants, drivers and minor staff.
The union demanded the implementation of the existing circular and the immediate payment of arrears.
Union Secretary Mahinda Guruge said that if their demands were not met within a week, they would launch an indefinite strike.
The union leader said that in the 2016 budget, the government raised public sector wages by Rs. 10,000, pledging that it would be added to the basic salary in 2020. This was a 107 percent increase compared to the 2015 salary, but the salaries of non academic staff were increased only by 91 percent.
Mr. Guruge said the unions had a meeting on Thursday and decided to stage a protest in Colombo next week, if the demands were not met.
Threatening to launch a strike at the end of this month are unions representing state sector principals and teachers. Their main grievance is also about salary anomalies. They also demand that the Government reduced the workload on teachers and principles.
Ceylon Teacher Services Union General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said that 30 unions had agreed to join the strike and launch a protest in Colombo on September 26, if their demands were not met.
The teacher unions also demand that the government allocate at least 6 percent of the GDP to education, initiate pension schemes for pirivena and semi-government school teachers.
Meanwhile, a union representing state sector executive officers is also considering trade union action over salary anomalies.
All Island Service Executive Officers’ Joint Committee leader H.A.L. Udayasiri said the union members included architects, engineers and draftsmen.
Also joining the stream of protesters are disabled soldiers. They are continuing their Satyagraha campaign outside the fort railway station, calling on the state to pay them salaries even after their retirement. They said they would not call off their Satyagraha campaign until the government addresses their grievances.