No end to stalemate

Saturday, 29 September 2012 00:01 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

DISREGARDING an offered salary increase, academics on Friday staged a massive protest march demanding sweeping reforms to higher education and widening the abyss with the Government. As the three month anniversary of the strike nears, there is escalating concern of the consequences of this stalemate.

The Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA), the trade union of the academics, on Monday started a massive four-day protest march from the southern town of Galle to pressure the Government into agreeing to their demands.

On the same day Sri Lanka’s most powerful student union, the Inter-University Students Federation (IUSF), kicked off a march from the central town of Kandy in support of FUTA with both converging at a final rally in Colombo.

Thousands of people including students and prominent opposition politicians joined the march along the way. More than 4,000 people were seen flocking to the final rally that was held in the capital, causing massive traffic jams and road closures.

The common cry was “we will not give up,” which is a concern not just for the Government, but for thousands of students who are hoping to get their A/L results, enter university, and pursue their dreams.

University teachers in Sri Lanka started the strike on 4 July demanding that the Government give them a 20 per cent salary increase, allocate six per cent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to education, and reduce political interference in the higher education system.

However, even after more than 20 rounds of talks with the Government, the academics charge that they have not received an adequate response to their demands. The near-three month strike has crippled universities and prompted 26 other trade unions, including prominent student unions, to join the academics in support of their cause.

Tension between the Government and the unions has reached a new high that was seen by the arrest of IUSF Convener Sanjeewa Bandara and subsequent attempts to get Court to disallow protests on the streets. The Judiciary in this instance safeguarded the right of people to protest, leaving the Government to fume over the strike being used as a “political tool” by opposition parties.

Promoted by the escalating protests, Higher Education Minister S.B. Dissanayake attempted to settle the bitter dispute on Thursday by offering a salary increase ranging from 32 per cent to lecturers, which rose to 82 per cent for senior professors. But the academics have so far rejected this latest proposal, saying that it is merely giving voice to what was promised last year.

The Government has insisted that it is willing to continue talks even after the latest round of protests is over. Yet, as tension increases, the chances for a speedy solution take a stronger nosedive, creating more concern for students and parents. With the latest round of salary increases, it would seem that academics are among the top salaried public servants in the country. However, their other demands of getting more funding for education seems to have fallen short if the present Appropriation Bill is to be believed.

Protecting the future generation also means giving them a future in the first place.