The executive committee of the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) is to meet on November 24 to discuss the actions to be taken by the union regarding the government’s failure to fulfill the promises made to them.
President of the University Teachers Association Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Devasiri says that they abandoned trade union action a few months back on the promise given by the President to implement the pay hike proposals through 2012 budget.
University lecturers allege that the government has deceived them without giving a pay hike through the budget, as promised.
FUTA in July suspended the trade union action that was dragging around for two months. The FUTA had proposed that the salary of a senior professor be increased from 57,000 to 120,000 rupees and the salary of a junior lecturer from 27,000 to 70,000 rupees.
Sri Lanka’s university professors are among the worst paid academics in Asia with salaries of 20,700 rupees (US$ 190) for junior lecturers and 57,000 (US$ 520) for senior professors, an Asia News report said.
CP