In Sri Lanka, there are around 263,000 teachers only. Only half of them hold membership of various trade unions in the field. But, they are an influential group with enormous clout in bringing a government to its knees. Their collective vigour surfaced in this manner for the first over an issue that has remained unaddressed for the last 24 years.
In a democratic system, widely perceived view is that the majority opinion always counts. It is true. Likewise, another common perception is that governance is a smooth sail as long as an overwhelming majority of people are with the ruling side. It is correct, but not quite correct at times due to the multiple forces at work in democracies. Unlike the ordinary voters, these forces hold clouts in their relevant fields and can prevail upon the governments.
As such, public opinion alone will not suffice in ruling a country in a democratic setup.
This is amply true in the present case of Sri Lanka where the government is under pressure. The present government received two-thirds majority at the general elections conducted on August 5, 2020. It was an unprecedented mandate that remained unimaginable up until then under the current electoral system of proportional representation.
One year into office, the government was encountering problems in the implementation of some of its decisions or forging ahead with governing businesses due to resistance from various groups such as trade unions, the political opposition etc.
In one example, the trade unions of school teachers and principals have started striking work. They have stopped online teaching activities leaving schoolchildren in the lurch. They demonstrated throughout the country and staged protest marches even leading to clashes with the police in certain cases and consequent arrests. They only gave a pause to their activities after medical experts warned of outbreak of Covid-19 due to large gatherings. It has impacted the government prompting it to look for ways and means to iron out the salary anomalies of teachers and principals. In Sri Lanka, there are around 263,000 teachers only. Only half of them hold membership of various trade unions in the field. But, they are an influential group with enormous clout in bringing a government to its knees. Their collective vigour surfaced in this manner for the first over an issue that has remained unaddressed for the last 24 years.
In Sri Lanka, trade unions are not independent. Most of them are affiliated to political parties. All the major political parties including the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) have formed trade unions to act as their fronts.
In the present struggle of teachers, the Ceylon Teachers Union (CTC) and the Ceylon Teachers Services Union (CTSU) are in the forefront along with others. CTU’s General Secretary Joseph Stalin and CTSU General Secretary Mahinda Jayasinghe are more vociferous than others in the trade union action. Both the unions are politically affiliated. The CTU played a role in the installation of the previous Yahapalana government whereas the CTSU is the teacher trade union arm of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP). Mr. Jayasinghe was also a JVP member of the western provincial council.
The salary anomalies of teachers and principals have remained an issue since 1994. Everybody, including the government, accepts in principle that the anomalies should be rectified. One cannot rule out that trade union action is devoid of political motivation. In fact, trade union action was exacerbated after the arrest of Mr. Stalin during a protest against the Kotelawala National Defence University Bill earlier and forcing him to undergo quarantine measures at a facility in Mullaitivu.
The law enforcement authorities only added fuel to the fire by arresting Mr. Stalin and referring him to quarantine measures forcibly. Incensed by the action, he, along with others, increased the intensity of their trade union action.
Today, teachers and principals, though numerically small, are not ready to relent in their trade union action and won’t heed the government’s call to wait till the next budget to offer a solution. Nevertheless, a prolonged trade union action will not bode well for the government because it affects education of children. When education activities are disturbed, parents will also be sensitive to the issue. Then, the government will also incur a blame for dragging its feet on the issue.
Already, the teachers and principals are now planning to elevate their trade union to the next level with the participation of political party leaders in the opposition. In such an eventuality, it leaves scope for the struggle to snowball into a new phase. It means proper engagement and consultation with trade unions, be they in whatever field, are all the more vital in running a government under a democratic system. In world democracies, manipulations and manoeuvring are common occurrences that sometimes undermine verdicts of the general public.
Winning public support at a democratic election is one thing. But, in the discharge of the duties, any government in the world has to grapple with various other segments holding societal power. Trade unions, business leaders, professional bodies, academics and various civil society lobby groups matter, since their actions can have bearing on governments despite them being numerical small entities compared with the general voters.
Examples abound in Sri Lanka in this respect. The government’s attempt to control the rice prices is yet another area it has so far failed due to non-cooperation by the leading millers of the country. Reduction of the price of rice varieties in the retail market, while ensuring a reasonable price for producers step is a welcoming step. But, the government is still handicapped in achieving its target due to the market influence being wielded by a handful of mill owners.
Therefore, in democracies, political ingenuity matters in successful management of governmental affairs in addition to the popular public support.
