Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union elects new President

[TamilNet, Sunday, 19 June 2005, 18:12 GMT]
Mr.Rajanathan, Principal of the Trincomalee Vigneswara Maha Vidyalayam was Sunday elected as the president of the 20,000 member-strong Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU). He was unanimously elected to the post of President at the CTTU Working Committee meeting held at the Trincomalee Vigneswara Maha Vidyalayam.

The outgoing President Mr.S.Thandayuthapani presided. The post fell vacant as Mr.Thandayuthapani relinquished it as he has been promoted as Zonal Director of Education and the CTTU constitution has not allowed any administrative officer in the Department of Education to hold any post in the union, CTTU sources said.

CTTU new President Mr.N.Rajanathan.

The new President Mr.Rajanathan currently holds post of Secretary of Education and Cultural Affairs in the CTTU parent body.

Mr.Thandayuthapani, presently the Zonal Direction Officer for Vavuniya North handed over his responsibility to the new President Mr.Rajanathan. Mr.Thandayuthapani was elected President at the 27th annual general meeting of the CTTU held in Trincomalee in March 2001.

Mr.Thandayuthapani in his farewell speech said CTTU is one of the powerful teacher-trade unions in the country and also has been closely associating with the 2.5 million member strong International Federation of Teacher-Trade Unions.

CTTU outgoing President Mr.S.Thandayuthapani.

He added the CTTU has been working since its inception for the development of Tamil medium education and schools and Tamil medium teachers not only in the northeast and also in other provinces. CTTU has been in the forefront in safeguarding the rights of Tamil medium students, schools and teachers and also protesting against any discrimination shown by the authorities in this regard. The motto of the CTTU is "Unity is Strength". The success of a trade union depends on the democracy and transparency in its administration, he added.

Mr.N.Rajanathan said under his leadership the CTTU would work hard to win the legitimate demands of Tamil medium teachers and also would take immediate steps to develop Tamil medium education.

He said an office of the CTTU would be opened in Trincomalee in addition to its headquarters in Jaffna in order to facilitate the administration.