Teachers union challenge government over perks to sabotage industrial action

A foremost teachers’ association in Sri Lanka has decided to challenge the government’s decision to provide salary increments to a handful of public officials who did not support industrial action. They claim that the President has forgotten the lessons learnt in the past, and that the government’s move is intended to suppress trade union action.

Recently, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to provide special salary increments as well as a special certificate of appreciation which can be used for promotions in the future, for all non-executive public sector officials who reported to work on 8 and 9 July without taking part in the protests launched by a number of public sector trade unions. The proposal had been put forward by President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

On 8 and 9 July, a massive strike was launched by a collective of over 200 public sector trade unions. In parallel, all teachers, principals, teacher advisors, and Piriven teachers reported sick on 9 July to join the protest.

However, considering the difficulties students may have to face, teacher trade unions decided to hold only the practical tests of Ordinary Level aesthetic subjects, which had been delayed due to the government’s actions. All other teachers who were not involved in this had called in sick.

Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) stressed that instead of providing solutions to salary-related demands of the massive strike launched by the public sector, the government has resorted to provide salary increments to a handful of officials who reported for work.

Quoting Cabinet Spokesperson and Minister Bandula Gunawardane, teacher trade union leader Joseph Stalin said that teachers who reported for work on 9 July will receive a salary increment which will not be applicable to their pension. Accordingly, the government will provide Rs. 525 for a teacher of the 3-1 service grade, Rs. 1,335 for a teacher of the 2-1 service grade, and Rs. 1,630 for a teacher of the 1 service grade.

In this context, CTU condemned the government’s decision to provide a salary increment in a selective manner while ignoring the demands of the overall workforce including teachers and principals.

A communiqué dated 11 July and signed by CTU General Secretary Stalin recalls that when a nurses’ strike was launched from 18 March to 6 April, 1986, the then Cabinet decided to provide two salary increments to the nurses who reported for work without taking part in the strike, while only one salary increment was given to other nurses. He further recalled how the said Cabinet decision was annulled by the court.

“Justices Wanasundara, L.H. De Alwis, and Seneviratne, who heard the petition (no. K 4/87) filed by the Public Services United Nurses Union in the Supreme Court against the government’s decision, declared the Cabinet decision null and void. This judgement was delivered stating that the Cabinet decision violates Constitutional provisions on equality mentioned in Article 12.”

Stalin, who has led many trade union strikes in Sri Lanka, further said that in the abovementioned case, the verdict had read that the Supreme Court has been vested with Constitutional powers through Article 55(5) of the Constitution to take such decisions with regard to Cabinet decisions that violate fundamental rights.

“If the Ranil Wickremesinghe government which has no public support proceeds with its decision to provide salary increments to public officials who did not take part in protests on 8 and 9 July,” Stalin has warned the President that CTU will take steps to file a petition at the Supreme Court “as per the previous court verdict.”