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go through colombo telegraph –
“Futa “We strongly object to the rude and aggressive conduct of the ministers and demand that the ministers comply with the code of conduct to address the issues we have raised,” the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations said. In a statement on the attacks on academics by higher education ministers, FUTA said: “In most countries, the ministry of education appoints a minister of high education and good conduct. However, FUTA’s union action leaves no doubt that we are not only dealing with a minister who does not possess these qualities, but also actively abandoning a strategy that would benefit the entire education sector in this country.”
Panama
FUTA issued another statement on the voluntary arbitration, saying, “FUTA firmly believes that the issues it has raised through union action cannot be termed as a ‘labor dispute’ between FUTA and the UGC. The issues raised by FUTA are policy related and need to be resolved through good faith discussions. We have sought legal advice on this matter and have been advised that we are not required to comply with the request to seek arbitration.”
Today, the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations issued two statements on the Higher Education Minister’s attacks on academics and his acceptance of voluntary arbitration.
Below we reproduce the FUTA statement in full;
September 11, 2012
Statement Regarding Voluntary Arbitration
10thday On September 12, FUTA was asked to attend a meeting at the Department of Labor. At that meeting, FUTA received a letter stating that the “labor dispute” between FUTA and the Department of Labor University Grants Committee (UGC) will be resolved through arbitration proceedings. FUTA was asked to nominate an arbitrator on their behalf to handle the process.
FUTA firmly believes that the issues it has raised through union action cannot be termed as a “labor dispute” between FUTA and UGC. The issues raised by FUTA are policy related and need to be resolved through good faith discussions. We have sought legal advice on this matter and have been advised that we are not required to comply with the request to seek arbitration.
In addition, FUTA has been in talks with the Minister Basil Rajapaksa also Dr. PB JayasundaraIn the last meeting with Dr. Jayasundera, the Finance Minister briefed us on a proposal to find a mutually agreeable long-term solution to the academic issues in the universities. It is extremely puzzling why, less than a week after the discussions, FUTA was suddenly asked to refer to arbitration. This indicates confusion on the part of the government and worse, deception. FUTA had held discussions with various government parties in good faith and intended to resolve the various issues affecting the education sector through negotiations. However, through this latest development, the government has shown that it is unable to understand the nature of these issues and that its statements on the negotiation process are worthless. This raises great concerns about the state of governance in the country.
FUTA believes that attempts to characterize the issues raised by FUTA as “industrial disputes” will only deepen the crisis in the education sector. FUTA also wishes to inform the public that it will not agree to voluntary arbitration as the issues it is trying to resolve cannot be resolved in this manner. FUTA requests the government to make public its position on these issues and refrain from such contradictory and deceptive approaches.
Sincerely,
President/Futa
September 11, 2012
Statement on the Higher Education Minister’s attack on academia
In most countries, the ministers of education are highly educated and of good character. However, the union action by the Federal Trade Union Federation leaves no doubt that we are not only dealing with a minister who does not possess these qualities, but also actively abandoning a strategy that would benefit the entire national education sector.
Even two months after the union action began, his comments continue to show that he does not understand (or pretends not to understand) our demands. Although our demands focus on improving recruitment and retention in the university system, maintaining university autonomy and strengthening free education in Sri Lanka, instead of intervening meaningfully, the Minister has made arbitrary and unfounded accusations against academics, using foul language unbecoming of a public figure.
The minister’s rudeness is understandable, as he was even jailed for it. Having a prison inmate as the Minister of Higher Education and the meagre allocation of funds (for education) speaks volumes about the government’s attitude towards education in the country.
FUTA strongly objects to the rude and aggressive conduct of the ministers and demands that the ministers adhere to the code of engagement to address the issues we have raised.
Sincerely,
President/Futa
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