Protest strike by CTU against SLEAS appointments
View(s):The Ceylon Teachers Union (CTU) will conduct a major strike next week, protesting Government failure to cease appointing unqualified officers to the Sri Lanka Education Administrative Service (SLEAS). “The strike could jeopardise the GCE (O/L) exams due to start in the first week of August, the CTU said.
CTU General Secretary Joseph Stalin said that major trade union members including Principals, Teachers and those in the SLEAS will go on strike on July 26. He said the Government promised to solve the problem within two weeks, during the initial strike on July 4. However, 2 weeks on, the problem remains and the Ministry of Education (MoE) is going ahead with the appointments.
The strike is against Government moves to give appointments to 1,200 persons in the Education sector, through a special Cabinet paper, under the political victimisation criteria. Accordingly, If these appointments are granted, 800 officers in the Principals’ service and 400 in the SLEAS and Teachers’ service will be promoted.
The CTU claims these officers do not qualify for promotions, as they have not sat for a Competency test held by the PSC.
“Some have not even passed in Maths at the Ordinary Levels, while there are also sexual abusers and paedophiles in the list,” he said. - CC