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Close on the heels of teacher unions boycotting the evaluation of A/L answer scripts to pressure the government to rectify their long standing salary anomalies, Human Rights Commission chief Nimal Punchihewa has rapped the Salaries and Cadre Commission for failing in its job. Had the commission done it duty, this wouldn’t have been the case, he said on Saturday.
Addressing a public gathering at Badulla, the lawyer accused the commission headed by Lionel Fernando of negligence and foot dragging. Due to laxity on their part, issues which could have been easily settled through negotiations had developed into trade union protests; a case in point was the boycott of evaluation of A/L answer script by teachers, he said.
Education Minister Susil Premjayanth, on numerous occasions has criticised the Salaries and Cadre Commission of mishandling the issue. Despite repeated appeals, teacher unions last Friday told Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President that they wouldngive up their struggle until the commission had settled the issue.
Although Examinations Chief Anua Edirisinghe initially expressed confidence that he could meet the teachers’ challenge, the action spearheaded by the Ceylon Teachers’ Service Union affiliated to the JVP has crippled the entire process.
Welcoming Punchihewa’s public criticism of the committee, Mahinda Jayasinghe, President of the JVP union regretted the political leadership had failed to recognise the damage caused by officialdom. He expressed shock and regret the Rajapaksa administration continued to depend on this committee which was the main cause of the trouble. (SF)
