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Festering pay tangle scuttles uni operations, unions dig in their heels
View(s):By Nathara Abeywickrema
Academic work across all universities has been brought to a standstill due to an ongoing strike led by non-academic staff.
The strike began at noon on Thursday. Non-academics are complaining that their salaries have been cut by 15% and that monthly allowances have not been increased.
Peradeniya University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Terrance Madhujith, said that given the coronavirus epidemic and the economic collapse, all university professors are working to bring normalcy to academic functions. In such a circumstance, operations would worsen if strikes continued.
The professor said students have reported a significant impact of strike-related stress on their academic work. They have expressed concern that the strike has resulted in a decline in the quality of their education and complained of lost academic support from laboratory non-academic staff, Prof. Madhujith noted.
Most students have left their hostels since services have been frozen, he said.
Since most of the glitches are observed as national issues, universities are ill-equipped to provide remedies.
He said that ‘collective agreements’ are used in most nations for any employment related to governmental service. It is past time to implement such fixes in Sri Lanka’s public sector.
The Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) President, Prof. Barana Jayewardena, claimed that while teaching had not been significantly impacted, administration work had reached a standstill.
Students experience inconvenience when canteens do not operate and cleaning is not done.
Midterm exams are being held despite the ongoing strikes, but if the trade union action continues, the exams will likely be significantly disrupted, and this could affect year-end exams and planned research projects.
Higher Education State Minister Dr. Suren Raghavan said the strike had resulted in a daily loss of Rs. 125 million and 1.8 million man-hours.
He said non-academic staff should exercise tact and adopt strategies that would not negatively impact the students’ future.
“This strike action has been long-running, calling for better pay and working conditions,” he said.
University non-academic staff members should be involved in talks with the government and reach concessions over their requests once they return to work, he said.
He added that every employee has grievances, but failing to report for duty was not the answer.
The state minister said he did not participate in the talks. They were being managed by Education Minister Susil Premajayantha.
“Since they are working with the lives of students, non-academic staff members ought to behave differently from other state sector employees. For example, among the duties performed by a medical faculty are items of equipment that require the assistance of lab assistants to be maintained in specific lab settings. Replacements would be expensive otherwise. Similar operations would be impeded by strikes. Therefore, I implore them to report back to work and have conversations to win their demands,” was Dr. Raghavan’s request to the non-academic staff. “I also believe that it is past time to implement a disciplined approach to crisis management in the higher education sector.’’
This collective action underscores the pressing need for recognition and fair treatment, coming after years of unmet expectations and talks with the government.
K.L.D.G. Richmond, Co-Secretary of the Inter-University Trade Union Federation, said state university non-academic staff members would continue the strike, demanding better pay and working conditions.
The protest was based on a 15% pay cut and the lack of a 25% increase in their monthly compensation allowance. The IUTF requests a circular that would stabilise both of these.
“The Treasury’s standard response was ‘lack of funds’ but we are not willing to accept that. We do not anticipate receiving any financial benefit at this very moment. We merely want a circular that reverses the 15% salary reduction and raises the MCA allowance by 25%.’’
Meanwhile, Education Minister Premajayantha has said the proposals on the monthly allowance and wage disparity faced by university non-academic staff since 2016 will be tabled at the Cabinet meeting tomorrow.
The unions warned the trade union action would continue if authorities ignored existing issues by tomorrow.
Meanwhile, following the G.C.E. Ordinary Level Examination, teachers are also scheduled to go on strike, demanding pay increases for principals and teachers.
Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that a significant problem with teacher promotions and compensation anomalies exists. A resolution was promised by April 30 but was not delivered.
Despite numerous proposals for measures to maintain the pace of teacher promotions, none has been properly implemented, Mr. Stalin said.
“We have scheduled a meeting with the FUTA on Tuesday, 14 to discuss our proposals for a new education policy framework. We have also sought to speak with the State Service Commission and the Ministry of Education.’’
Principals’ Union General Secretary Parakrama Weerasinghe said while setting academic goals and curriculum development, principals also manage physical resources, finance, and human resources. Such responsibilities are handled amid a complete breakdown of salary payments, including allowances such as mobile and cost-of-living allowances.
A senior official of the Department of Education said reports have been sent to the Director General of Establishment at the Cabinet for him to work on recommendations to resolve the disputes principals and teachers face.
| Allowance promise yet to be delivered The president of the Joint Council for Professions of Supplementary Medicine, Ravi Kumudesh, claimed that the technical report for economic justice for the health staff was accepted in principle by the government, but the agreement’s promise has not been met. According to technical reports, a portion of the compensation will be increased in May, and an official announcement regarding the distribution of the remainder will be made within four weeks. Mr. Kumudesh said important health services were overlooked in the Cabinet document that was sent to them on the May pay allowance increase. As for allowances to be paid to non-uniformed workers, no action has been taken, in contrast to the uniform stipend. In light of this, the Alliance of Health Trade Unions has decided to declare another strike in the provinces. Workers at hospitals and health facilities in the North Central Province will go on strike on May 15. Then on May 16 in the Southern Province, on May 20 Uva Province, and in the in the Western Province on May 21. If the issues are not settled, a continuous strike is to start on May 22, Mr Kumudesh warned. | |
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