Unfair for teacher unions to demand immediate solution to salary anomaly issue - Govt.

The government today stated that it was unfair for teacher unions to demand that it immediately settle a salary anomaly issue that has existed for 24 years. 

Addressing a media briefing, Education Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris said it was unfair for teachers and principals to demand an immediate resolution to such a long-standing and complex issue at a time when not just Sri Lanka, but the entire world was undergoing severe economic hardship on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Prof. Peiris was speaking after the latest round of talks between the government and unions representing teachers and principals ended without agreement. Accordingly, unions pledged to continue with their trade union action by refraining from conducting any online classes. 

The education minister claimed the demand was impractical given that many avenues of revenue including from taxes such as VAT, Customs, Excise as well as remittances from migrant workers have all dried up. 

He stated it was unfair for teachers and principals to suddenly refuse to attend school and conduct classes at this particular time over a issue that has lasted for 24 years. Prof. Peiris added that those who will suffer the most due to this strike action are children from poor families while children from affluent families will continue to learn. 

He also refuted allegations leveled against the Education Ministry Secretary over the issuance of a circular instructing academic and non-academic staff to attend school. About 85% out of 241, 000 teachers have been vaccinated as of this morning. "We need to start the process to reopen school once the vaccination is finished. As such, teachers must go to schools to make preparations to reopen those schools. The circular was issued with this in mind and is in no way an attempt to intimidate or threaten teachers," Prof. Peiris further claimed. 

The government again reiterated that it will allocate funds to resolve the salary anomaly issue in the next budget in November. 

Ministers Bandula Gunawardana and Gamini Lokuge also addressed the briefing.