Stranded teachers from Vanni demand salary arrears

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 July 2007, 15:37 GMT]
More than 150 teachers from Vanni district, stranded outside districts after last year’s closure of A9 highway, and temporarily appointed in Western province, have reported to Sri Lanka Teachers Union (SLTU) that they have not been paid their salary for the past ten months. The teachers allege that the Northern Province Education department had provided all the required documents for processing their salary payments and yet the office of the Western province Education department has failed to take any action.

150 teachers, out of a total of 650 teachers stranded outside Vanni, were temporarily provided employment in Western province, with the permission of the Ministry of Education.

The reason for the delay in payment is due to the controversy regarding appointment of these teachers without the permission of the Governor of Western province.

T.Mahasivam, General Secretary of SLTU, after discussions he had with Mr.Susil Prem Jeyananda and the Governors of Northern and Western provinces, said that a meeting will be convened very soon in Colombo to resolve the issue.

Mr. Mahasivam said that it is the responsibility of Ministry of Education to pay the teachers, and the officials should expeditiosly resolve the matter.

Chronology: