TU action by non-academic staff disrupts all university systems

The Trade Union (TU) action which had continued for the fourteenth day by the university non-academic staff had resulted in a total disruption to the university system, the Vice-chancellor of the Peradeniya University Prof. Upul Dissanayake said.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror yesterday he said all the academic activities done by the non-academic staff had come to a standstill and sections of all the universities including the Peradeniya university have been affected.

“Every lecture conducted in all universities had to be stopped except certain ongoing experiments due to the TU action. All students had left the university hostels. Most of the facilities such as security service provided by the staffers’ were voluntarily,” the Professor said.

Meanwhile, the University Trade Union Joint Committee Secretary K.L.D.G. Richmond said the TU action had affected 15 universities while more than 16,000 executive officers participating had in the trade union action.

The TU action was launched from September 10 onwards as the Government failed to provide solutions to a longstanding salary anomaly.

A group of 27 Unions comprising the University Trade Union Joint Committee (UTUJC) staged a 48-hour token strike and a series of protests on August 28-29, demanding solutions to the issue.

The Universities affected by the strike are Colombo, Kelaniya, Ruhuna, Sabaragamuwa, Rajarata and Peradeniya. Union officials said University exams, Research activities and, in some cases, Convocation ceremonies were impacted by the strike.