Teachers and principals join public sector strike with sick-note campaign

Unions representing teachers and principals are conducting a sick-note campaign today (9), joining the trade union action launched by more than 300 state sector unions yesterday. 

The teachers and principals are engaging in the sick-note campaign today over several key demands, including resolving the salary anomaly issue affecting them, taking steps to lessen the burden on the cost of education placed on parents and providing solutions to institutional issues affecting teachers and principals. 

However, the unions have stated that teachers will still take part in the practical examinations to be held today for GCE Ordinary Level students. 

While the Education Ministry has said schools will function as normal today, the teachers' and principals' unions have insisted that teachers and principals will not be present in schools today, requesting parents to take a decision on whether or not to send their children to schools in such a situation. 

Meanwhile, the two-day strike launched by more than 300 unions in the public sector continued for a second day today. The strike has been called by the Collective of State and Provincial State Service Trade Union demanding solutions to a range of issues. The primary demand of the striking unions is for the government to extend the monthly allowance of Rs. 25, 000 given to executive officers in the pubic sector to the entire public sector.

The government yesterday rejected this demand made by the unions, with Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardana being quoted by the President's Media Division (PMD) as stating that if the striking public servants' demand for a salary increase is met, the current 18% Value Added Tax (VAT) will have to be raised to 20-21%. The government is not prepared to fulfill this demand as it would burden the public, the PMD stated. 

The strike caused severe inconvenience to the public in many areas that were affected yesterday.