University non-academic employees continue their strike

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 August 2003, 16:00 GMT]
The Inter University Trade Union Federation (IUTF) Saturday rejected an appeal made by the Tertiary Education Minister Mr.Kabir Hashim to abandon its strike and to return to work. The IUTF said it would continue its trade union action until their demands are met. About ten thousand non-academic employees who are members of the IUTF have been on strike since August 12, education sources said.

The IUTF has put forward twenty demands including salary increase, removal of salary anomalies according to the B.C.Perera Salaries Commission report and permanency to causal employees, sources said.

IUTF official said Saturday that Minister Mr. Hashim and the University Grants Commission have not responded favourably to their demands. Hence the IUTF has decided to continue their strike, he said.




Non academic employees of the Trincomalee campus of the East University held a demonstration in front of the Trincomalee campus Thursday in support of their IUTF strike



However, the Minister said on his instruction the University Grants Commission has taken steps to remedy salary anomalies to four categories of employees immediately. He asked the UGC to issue a circular before 3rd September providing solution to nineteen other demands put forward by the IUTF. Minister Mr. Hashim further said that he has decided to pay an interim allowance of five thousand rupees to each employee with effect from December last year.

Activities in all universities in the country including northeast have come a standstill since August 12 and all examinations have been cancelled until further notice, UGC sources said.