Teachers protest over several demands in Sri Lanka

A protest organized by the Teachers’ and Principals’ Trade Unions was held in Kiribathgoda today over several demands including an immediate solution to the salary anomalies.

For more than a hundred days, the Teachers’ and Principals’ Trade Union Alliance (TPTUA) has been protesting against the government, demanding a raise in wages.

To stop the protests, the government introduced a bill (later withdrawn) at the start of the strike to grant special status to the Defence University, which is run by the Ministry of Defense.

Unions’ unity and resolve have been reinforced by government action. While the unions agreed to go back to work, they pledged to continue their fight against the government by other means.

“This afternoon there will be a protest at Fort, in Colombo, and teachers from Jayawardhanapura and Piliyandala will also participate,” said Mahinda Jayasinghe, general secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union (CTSU).

Initially, schools were set to reopen last Thursday, but teachers decided to go back to work only today because the government did not meet any of their demands, in particular their demand for a wage increase.

“The government has decided to reopen schools suddenly to try to defeat us,” said Pradeepa Augusta, speaking to AsiaNews.

For the Catholic teacher originally from the province of Uva, “The government thought that teachers would not show up, so it could say to the parents: ‘You see, teachers don’t care about your children’s education, they just ask for a salary’.”

In reality, “teachers know the value of education and this struggle is nothing more than a trade union struggle against the government’s arrogant decisions.”

Some parents also wonder “What is the hurry to get young children back to school.” The “Priority should be given to those who have exams to take at the end of the year. In other countries, very specific plans have been established, but nothing in Sri Lanka.”

SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES