Will resolve Salary anomalies: PM assures Teachers, Principals

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said yesterday that the issue regarding salary anomalies of principals and teachers and the transformation of the Teacher-Principals’ Service into a ‘Closed Service’ will be taken after the Cabinet meeting next Monday.

He said this during a meeting held with Teacher Trade Union representatives at Temple Trees yesterday. Accordingly, the Prime Minister requested principals and teachers to be ready to begin duties from next Monday.

The union representatives told the Prime Minister that although the teacher-principal salary anomaly has existed for twenty-four years, a comprehensive solution had not been found. Hence they appealed to the PM to provide them a solution to this long awaited issue.

In response the Prime Minister said that he was well aware of the salary anomaly issue faced by teachers and principals, adding that as a government they are aware that this issue needs to be resolved. However, he said that under the present global situation and the country’s financial predicament, the government was not in a position to rectify the salary issue at this moment. He said the Education Minister had submitted a Cabinet paper regarding their issues and vouched to stand up for the rights of the teachers and principals. Therefore, the Prime Minister assured that the matter would be discussed with the Wages Board and a decision would be taken soon regarding the salary anomalies of teachers and principals.

However, the union members told the Prime Minister that there are various views being expressed over social media, adding that while they were agreeable to the ‘Subhodini Report’, but said that they were unaware if these issues were included in the Cabinet paper.

In response, Education Minister G.L.Peiris said that the Cabinet paper was presented based on the Supreme Court verdict, the ‘Subhodini’ report and Cabinet decisions.

The Union representatives appreciated the Prime Minister’s mediation in this issue, adding that over the tenure of the past five governments no one had come forth to resolve these matters.

(Source: Daily News – By Camelia Nathaniel)