Trade union action of teachers, principals 'unethical': Education Minister

Education Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam today (Sept 26) criticised the two-day sick note campaign being carried out by teachers and principals, terming it as “unethical” and “unfair”.

Mr. Kariyawasam, in a statement, pointed out that teachers and principals would receive a pay hike by January next year – a 106 percent increase of their wages received in 2015.

He said that unions are attempting to portray a false image that they have been winning their demands through trade union actions while knowing that a pay hike is on the cards.

The Education Minister stressed that teachers should question their conscience over their actions since they have been conducting tuition classes for monetary gain while refraining from reporting to work.

“This tarnishes the value of the teaching profession while setting a bad example to the students,” the statement read.

Mr. Kariyawasam pointed out that teachers should cover up missed lessons within the remaining days of the academic calendar since schools had been shut for many months due to the Easter Sunday bombings and the inclement weather this year.

Teachers and principals of thirty unions are currently engaging in a two-day sick note campaign citing salary anomalies and excessive workload, while also demanding to allocate six percent of the country's Gross Domestic Production for education.