Non–academics call off protest march

by Dasun Edirisinghe

 University non-academic staff yesterday called off their protest march, from Colombo Fort to the Presidential Secretariat, scheduled for today, against the government’s decision to place them on no pay leave for the days they struck work.

They had been on strike from June 06 to 26 against the government’s delay to rectify their salary anomalies. They ended the strike on assurances from the Labour Department and the University Grants Commission.

President of the Inter University Trade Union Joint Committee R. M. Chandrapala told The Island that the Labour Ministry held a discussion with them yesterday and UGC officials too attended the meeting.

"At yesterday’s discussions, UGC officials promised to pay us our full salaries and not place us on no pay leave for the striking days," he said adding that to deduct salaries and leave would be in violation of the agreement which they entered into earlier with the Labour Department and the UGC.

Chandrapala said that they ended the strike on the promise of a solution to their problem within 45 days.

The trade unionists said that they had postponed the protest march temporarily.

"We could launch it at any time if government does not provide us with the full salary as 70 per cent of the salaries of the Rajarata and Eastern University non-academic staff have already been cut," Chandrapala said.

 Hits: 3     Send to Friend