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Trade union leaders to resume discussions regarding demands with the new govt.
View(s):By Ishu Bandara
Trade Union leaders have vowed to resume pushing for their demands to the newly appointed government from where discussions ended with the previous government.
Many trade union leaders are planning to meet with authorities in the coming weeks to present their proposals.
Considering the government’s budget is scheduled for February 2025, some union leaders said it is important to consider finalising these discussions before the government budget is presented in February 2025.
The Sri Lanka Grama Niladhari Association’s Colombo District Secretary Nalin Gunasekara told the Sunday Times, “We are not planning any protests at this time, as the government has been newly appointed. We will observe for some time to see how they respond to the demands we have already forwarded to the newly appointed Secretary of the Ministry of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, and Local Government. Our main demands include the establishment of a separate employment policy for Grama Niladhari officers and the resolution of longstanding salary issues.”
Locomotive Operating Engineers Union chairman, Chandana Wiyanduwa, told the Sunday Times, “Our only request from this new government is to implement a quality mechanism for government services, as all previous governments failed to do so. We are also expecting a regular salary increment in the upcoming budget. Additionally, we have already received a successful resolution to the demands we presented to the previous government,” he further added.
Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA) secretary, Dr. Charudaththa Ilangasinghe, told theSunday Times that their main concern is the shortage of university academics. “We plan to discuss this matter with the new government, particularly with the University Grants Commission (UGC), next week. Otherwise, we cannot sustain this system any longer. To operate effectively, we need around 12,000 academics, but currently we have only 5,000,” he said.
Higher education is the backbone of any developed country, and a 50% shortage of academics is a tragedy for Sri Lankan university students. An immediate solution is necessary, especially as the newly appointed government has stated that they are giving high priority to the education sector in Sri Lanka.
Inter-University Students Federation convenor, Madushan Chandrajith, stated that they have already sent a letter to the Minister of Education, Prime Minister Harini Amarasooriya, regarding the government’s New Education Policy Framework (NEPF). “We are deeply concerned about how the new government plans to implement the NEPF. In our letter, we highlighted the disadvantages it may cause and emphasized the need to revise it before implementation. We will closely monitor the government’s response and have requested an appointment to discuss this and other issues in the university sector,” he said.
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