March 26, Colombo (LNW): The Teachers’ Principals’ Trade Union Alliance (TPTUA) issued a stern warning to the Secretary of the Finance Ministry, emphasising their intention to undertake significant trade union measures if their demands, particularly concerning salary anomalies, remain unaddressed.
According to Joseph Stalin, General Secretary of the Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU), the TPTUA conveyed their concerns during a meeting with the Finance Ministry Secretary, following a formal written request submitted on March 11.
In their communication, the TPTUA specifically requested the disbursement of the outstanding two-thirds payment for salary anomalies, as allocated in the 2024 budget.
Additionally, they sought clarification on the allocation of funds designated for the evaluation of answer scripts for the 2023 General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level (O/L) examinations and related examination duties.
Despite the submission of their written request earlier in March, the TPTUA reported a lack of response from the Ministry, prompting their visit to the Ministry premises on the day prior to issue a media release detailing their grievances.
During the visit, discussions were held with an Additional Secretary, who committed to arranging a subsequent meeting with the Ministry Secretary upon his return from an upcoming overseas trip, anticipated within a week.
Expressing their commitment to resolving these issues without disruption to the education system, the TPTUA stressed the importance of prioritising student welfare.
However, they cautioned the Additional Secretary that failure to address their concerns could lead to escalated trade union actions in the future.
