Education sector Trade Unions on 2-day islandwide ‘Sick-Note’ campaign
View(s):Some 30 Trade Unions (TU) representing teachers and principals will engage in a 2-day islandwide ‘Sick-Note’ campaign on September 26 and 27, over two key demands.
Ceylon Teachers’ Services Union (CTSU) General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe said they are protesting against a longstanding salary anomaly issue and the “unnecessary workload” heaped on teachers.
Mr Jayasinghe said the salary anomaly issue has affected teachers and principals for more than 20 years, while repeated appeals for a solution has fallen on deaf ears.
He also claimed that, teachers were being overburdened by being forced to undertake extra work. ‘‘TUs are also due to convene in Colombo on September 26, for a protest in Colombo Fort, to send a strong message to the Government,’’ he also revealed.
Mr Jayasinghe charged that the authorities were attempting to sabotage the planned TU action. “We have been informed they are organising the National Schools Sports Festival during this week, along with workshops and other programmes, to keep the teachers in school. We have already written to the Education Ministry Secretary, that we will not postpone our TU action under any circumstances, and will not take responsibility for any problems that could arise, by holding such events during our ‘Sick-Note’ campaign,” he stressed.
Mr Jayasinghe added that the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service and the Sri Lanka Teacher Educators’ Service will support their TU action by joining the ‘Sick-Note’ campaign. “This means, the entire Education sector will be crippled on these 2 days,” he warned.
“If authorities failed to respond positively to their demands, the CTSU warned they were prepared to intensify their TU action, including an indefinite strike and staying away from GCE A/L paper marking,” Mr Jayasinghe elaborated.