We will continue our trade union struggle – FUTA

Thursday, 30 August 2012 13:29

FUTA will not end its trade union struggle based on the Cabinet paper released today, as it is only a policy level document that contains no concrete solutions to demands, Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) spokesman Dr. Mahim Mendis said today.

He told Daily Mirror that FUTA received the cabinet paper containing the eight decisions reached on the academics’ demands, but said the academics were disappointed with the outcome.

“The document does not refer to any of our major demands including the 6% GDP allocation to the education sector or about a resolution to the salary grievances. We urge the government to provide solutions to our demands with reference to the 2011 interim solution,” Dr. Mendis said. (Lakna Paranamanna)

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Comments

-82+21 # Sri Radharakshitha 2012-08-30 13:47

Curse this treacherous FUTA, the people will punish the FUTA for ruining the education system.

-8+18 # sams 2012-08-30 22:39

Is the FUTA also responsible for the Z score crisis, AL paper errors, grade 5 scholarship exam leak?

-16+8 # citizen junior 2012-08-31 09:11

of course they are the people involved in the first two, not scholarship gr 5 and this 6% demand is very vague-they must educate the people, or is it to camoflage the masses and seek their support for a another salary increase

-1+11 # Gerald 2012-08-31 13:33

no point in commenting here. No one has understood that this problem is due to some bunch of uneducated politicians getting more power in the country. They think they are more superior than anyone else. this is the main problem in country from top downwards. Who made this chaos??? the people by voting and giving a 2/3 power.

-11+54 # Cynic 2012-08-30 14:15

Don't let the regime take you for a ride a second time.

-82+22 # jayalath 2012-08-30 16:02

Strike wont call off till all the private institutes complete enrollment process for the academic year 2013 . That is the FUTA's agenda.

-62+21 # citizen junior 2012-08-30 16:59

Well said Jayalath, these guys are doing nothing at campuses.they want to see the end of free education and private Universities coming up, for them to grab appointments

-15+75 # hb 2012-08-30 17:48

Most of these academics could have stayed back in the foriegn unis after completing their PHDs and earned 10-15 times their current salary. But they came back to Sri Lanka for a 50,000/- salary for the love of the country. Please don't measure them with the same standards that's used to measure politicians. How does Mahinda chinthana expect to make SL the education hub by spending only 6% on education? Please open your eyes to the reality before making comments which exposes your ignorance.

-14+6 # Rubert Vanderkoon 2012-08-30 21:55

Those who got jobs abroad following their PhD stayed on, only a handful came back mostly because of family connections. But majority of those who came back, came back after failing to get a job abroad. There are hundreds of academics who got HSMP visa to UK but couldn't find a job. There are many who are working at petrol stations in UK. Say what you know, not what you assume.

-2+5 # Acadamic 2012-09-01 08:38

Very wrong and demeaning comment. I'm an engineering PhD student who still 'hopes' to come back to SL after my studies (if there is a country left). And my supervisors at Moratuwa all could easily migrated to a developed country for a easier life. But they did not, and as a result even with difficulties they keep on producing another generation of academics. But if the general idea about university professors is similar to Mr. Vanderkoon I think there is no future for Sri Lanka. Sad but have to be said.

-0+2 # das 2012-09-01 09:54

True. These fellows are just blowing the government trumpet. I think we will know the truth soon enough. If the FUTA fails to win its demands, all the better academics will resign and leave for better options. Only the less competent ones will remain.

-0+2 # Abc 2012-09-01 11:11

My view, this time is not a good time to come back to work in Sri Lankan university. If you can work in US or European university, later you can help Sri Lankan students who wish to do PhD. You can consider to come back when this Sri Lankan university crises end. Your professor in Moratuwa can migrate to developed countries. But, it is not for work at foreign university. Moreover, other faculty teachers (management, Social Science) are can not do it.

-10+10 # dgd 2012-08-30 22:20

I think there are people hired to make nasty comments like this.

-7+2 # ABC 2012-08-31 13:09

This comment is true. people who came back to Sri Lanka are failed to find university job in abroad or other personal commitment. It is not only love to the country.

-13+56 # Kautilya 2012-08-30 17:25

FUTA stand is commendable.Government is trying to hoodwink FUTA with a so called Cabinet paper. Cabinet is nothing but a set of jokers.Some of them doesn't have at least O level .But they discussed issues pertaining to Uni.Academic.What a hilarious joke.

-13+34 # hb 2012-08-30 17:27

-7+9 # saman 2012-08-31 05:41

Of course ! If FUTA fails to get the demands most of the academics who have gone will stay back and experts will leave gradually > Aascharya will come with honorary doctorate holders.

-1+1 # No_PHD 2012-08-31 14:51

Only 41 % 0f Staff in well established universities such as Colombo, Peradeniya, Moratuwa, Kalaniya and Japura are having PhD. It is 22% in Notyh and Estern province. It is18% in other regional universities such Rajarata, Sabaragamuwa, Wayamba, Uva (MOHE- Sri Lanka). It is not different now. Aascharya will come with honorary doctorate holders. Most of current lecturers with PhD is also can not migrate to developed and heigh growing foreign countries, because they do not have quality research publications. Therefore, government should allocate money for the universities in order to develop Sri Lanka as a Education hub in Asia. Foreigners should not come to school education. (School Education is also important )

-11+37 # jagath 2012-08-30 17:37

Do you think that fighting to increase education spending a bad thing? Now the parents have to maintain schools, paint buildings, construct buildings act as security guards in schools because government refuses to give money for these activities and instead spends for tamashas. Increasing the education spending will relieve parents of these burden. Is it a bad thing to fight for it?.

-39+17 # Bandara 2012-08-30 17:41

This is now insane. Unfortunately they have no concern for the innocent students' unrest and future. Economists among academea have already explained that FUTA's 6% is 'illogical', 'unrealistic' and 'outrageous' which some 'history' academics unfortunately cannot understand. FUTA president ducks the 6% demand when asked in forums as an 'argument to negotiate'. Their real concern is only salary and 6% GDP demand is put upfront just to avoid public criticism.

-9+30 # ABC 2012-08-30 18:53

6% demand is more realitics after the war. Some professors who go shooping say this is unrealistics. Sri Lanka is spent least for Education in South Asia. Other south asian countiries will pass Sri Lanka very soon. Sri Lankan universities are very low rank in Asia. Universities need money and well qualified researchers and research centers.

-6+7 # dgd 2012-08-30 22:22

Its time you bandas came to colombo and saw how expensive things are. You should bring your economists along with you. :-))

-7+10 # das 2012-08-31 08:05

The 6% demand is based on the benchmark investment recommended by UNESCO under the millenium development goals. Your economists obviously dont know that.

-7+8 # thilak 2012-08-30 22:43

govt always try to dialute the strike with commitee recommandation or threts , but this time fail , keep it up

-7+10 # Kautilya 2012-08-31 08:50

If FuTA fails we could expect likely that many Academic will migrate out to greener pastures.

-9+6 # Don Sarath 2012-08-31 10:12

FUTA which is part of the bankrupt JVP is going on a Politically motivated trade union action. Majority of Academics are against this action but do not come out due to fear of JVP academic goons who are controlling the Union.

Those who are on top should be taught a lesson of Premadasa style before long and before it is too late.

-3+2 # Senior Professor 2012-08-31 18:54

Don Sarath. You are very uneducated. You have no original thoughts.

-3+6 # CHANDRAPALA 2012-08-31 10:41

The important demand is 9% . Without this university education cannot be uplifted. The court has already instructed the UGC to increase the university intake.

-9+3 # Chandrapala 2012-08-31 11:41

FUTA does not care about the state university undergraduates nor the plight of 2012 Advanced Level students who just completed the examination. The government should take some drastic action and reopen the state universities and once the Z-score issue is finalised the 2012 Advanced Level paper evaluation should commence.

-3+6 # Naman 2012-08-31 13:48

FUTA needs to stand firm in order to get their demands which are reasonable and allow education to thrive in Sri Lanka.
We need to shift the funds from defence to education.
The current huge expenditure on defence is to suppress opposition to Rajapaksas', and to instill fear in the people and to win elections illegally

-0+4 # Upul 2012-08-31 14:58

Seek some divine help immediately. Coconut cracking is very important.

-2+2 # Sagara 2012-08-31 16:59

The 6% GDP allocation to Education is reasonable enough as Education is what will propel the country forward into the next decades. Although decent, just, teacher/instructor/lecturer salaries should be an important component here, they shouldn't be the main component though, as learning Facilities are should take the biggest slice of this cake.

-0+2 # Non-academic 2012-09-01 00:33

The government's income is about 14% of the GDP( and the balance 86% comes from the private sector) while the government expenditure amounts to about 24% of the GDP.

A 6% of GDP therefore exceeds 40% of the government income. It is also about one fourth of the total expenditure. If one fourth is to be spent on education, only three fourth would be left to spend on all the other things, including health, agriculture, salaries, pensions, etc. and for development activities. You should realize the difficulty in allocating a good one fourth of expenditure on education.
Another FUTA demand is that the Govt.should pay the fees for these academics to send their children to fee paying International Schools. If this is true, these guys are a bunch of traitors specially when you consider that they have had their own education free and are now trying to ruin the future of our next generation.

-1+0 # dgd 2012-09-01 10:04

Thats an incorrect interpretation. The GDP is not the income. The GDP is the value of all products generated by the country. A comparison is drawn with it as a reference. e.g. 6% of GDP. Secondly, the govt has other incomes like foreign aid and loans. So FUTA is not demanding 40% of the govt expenditure. In any case do you think that a group of experts like FUTA wont know about this?

I really cannot comment about the international schools as I dont know about it. But it is probably a false rumour spread by certain people to discredit FUTA.

-0+0 # Sagara 2012-09-01 10:53

Non-academic - very valid points Sir. (I hope you noticed that I said FACILITIES over salaries). If true, fees for sending their kids to Int. schools is a non-starter.

-1+1 # sams 2012-09-01 13:15

If this amount cannot be invested, it simply demonstrates the state's failure. The only bunch of traitors are those still defending an incompetent government, even Ethiopia is investing more in education than us.

-1+1 # citizen junior 2012-09-01 08:15

vote for Sajith, make him HE, He will bring back Premadasa policies, all FUTA guys will be dealt with in style. MR is incapable of handling JVP.

-0+1 # Abc 2012-09-01 10:52

GMOA and FUTA against to private universities owned and operate by Sri Lankan people. What is your stand for Indian University study centres. Annamalai, Baradidasan, Madras, Alagappa, Madurai are some of the Indian state Universities set up study centres in Sri Lanka. These universities are not good university rank in Asia or World. Sri Lanka does not have any law to regulate these institutions. I believe that Sri Lanka needs proper law to regulate all degree offering institutions. As a policy, Sri Lanka should allow to setup campuses or study centers of well established universities. These university rank (QS or Time rankings) should be less than 200 in Asia and less than 800 in the world. UGC has to look up this matter soon and FUTA and Professors have to raise their voice. Most people in Sri Lanka believe India and Indian intelligent service behind this higher education crisis and want to destroy quality Education system in Sri Lanka.

-0+0 # Professor 2012-09-01 18:05

GMOA and FUTA are not against private universities owned and operated by Sri Lankan people. They are only against the improperly formulated private medical college which has admitted students who have failed the Advanced Level exam and Arts students to do a medical degree. FUTA is for private institutions because most of the state university lecturers lecture in private institutions also.

-0+0 # Abc 2012-09-02 21:54

Sri Lanka needs regulation and regulator to control and evaluate private universities. Professors, GMOA or FUTA have to demand it. Then, private universities can not admit students who have failed the Advanced Level exam and Arts students to do a medical degree.Further, they have to recuit at least minimum number of qualified full-time teachers and staff. Otherwise, Sri Lankn degree recogniztion may loss internationally .

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