Cabinet appoints committee to look into teachers’ salary demands
COLOMBO – As an ongoing strike by Sri Lanka’s school teachers and principals over long-running salary anomalies is set to move into its second month, the Cabinet of Ministers on Monday (9) appointed a four-member committee to recommend a mutually agreeable solution to the crisis by next week.
Co-cabinet spokesman, Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, told reporters at the weekly cabinet press briefing on Tuesday (10), the committee comprising Ministers Wimal Weerawansa, Dallus Alahapperuma, Prasanna Ranathunga, and Mahindananda Amaraweera has been tasked with submitting a report to Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa before next week’s cabinet meeting, as solving the issue will cost the government Rs 60 to 70 billion rupees.
Rambukwella said if recommendations by previous committees (the B. C. Perera and Subodhini committees) or by the Salary and Cadre Commission are not acceptable, the two sides can meet halfway and discuss when a mutually agreed upon solution might be implemented. He added the government was serious about the matter.
School teachers and principals have been on strike for 29 consecutive days over salary anomalies, which they say go back 24 years – an issue that successive governments have failed to resolve. The teachers’ unions earlier this week called of the daily protests in different parts of the island which attracted large crowds of teachers, over fears of new outbreaks of COVID-19.
“Objectively, there is an anomaly. We approach this issue from the perspective that the teachers being stressed about this issue is completely fair. I must stress that, as a government, we’re clearly of the position that an interim solution must be provided,” Rambukwella said.
He did, however, allege that a handful of individuals have brought the country to a standstill with their protests over the salary issue, and urged teachers to be rational about the current pandemic situation and not give into emotions.
Last Monday (3), Education Minister Prof G L Peiris said the government was not in a position to provide “instant solutions” to the issue and instead hoped to present proposals that cover the gamut of the public service in the budget in November.
-economynext.com