HNDA holders in Trincomalee demand employment

[TamilNet, Monday, 09 August 2004, 00:57 GMT]
The members of the Association of Unemployed Higher National Diploma in Accountancy Holders (AUHNDAH) in Trincomalee suspended their two-day demonstration against the lack of employment at the request of Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, Trincomalee district parliamentarian. The MP assured the AUHNDAH that he would meet the Minister of Finance, Dr.Sarath Amunugama, on August 17 and would place their demand for favourable consideration.

Mr.Thurairatnesingham participated in the second day demonstration held Saturday in the premises of the Higher National Diploma Institute with HNDA diploma holders and expressed his solidarity with their demand.

According to a Sri Lanka Government circular issued fourteen years ago, the four-year HNDA course in the Sri Lanka Technical College had been declared as comparable to a degree in Commerce awarded by a recognized university. The HNDA Diploma should be accepted as an alternative qualification to those stipulated in the relevant schemes of employment, the circular stated in its preamble, and the circular has never been rescinded nor modified, AHUNDAH said in a memorandum to the Minister of Finance.

The memorandum spotlighted that the Ministry of Education when recruiting graduates for teacher service recognised HNDA diploma holders and had appointed them as graduate teachers in several schools.