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Uni academics raise heat over salaries, staff shortages, and undergrad facilities
View(s):A union representing university academics has warned of intensified trade union action if authorities fail to meet their demands, including funds for infrastructure facilities and solving staff shortages.
The Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) president Prof. P R Weerathunga said Rajarata and Sabaragamuwa universities have severe shortages of hostels and lecture halls, in addition to issues like poor water supply, unhealthy food in canteens, and other challenges.
The student intake has also significantly increased from around 25,000 in 2015–2016 to about 45,000 aggravating the problems.
The other demand is staff. Universities need around 12,000 academic staff but operate with only 6,000-7,000. Between 2018-2019, and during the Covid pandemic and economic recession, 1,000 to 1,500 academic staff resigned, emigrated, or abandoned positions. PhD holders are unwilling to work for current salaries of about
Rs. 250,000 net after a 36% tax deduction.
Prof Weerathunga said science and medical faculties face a lot of challenges to cover all the subjects, as the Department of Management Services (DMS) has approved hiring for only 30-40% (around 400-500) of the vacancies.
He said academics previously had a distinct salary structure, comparable to positions in the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. But now a professor earns around Rs. 500,000 while a director at a higher grade at CBSL gets Rs. 1.2 million to Rs 1.5m.
“This disparity emerged after the current government came into power, following a Central Bank salary increase and a 2025 government salary revision that ‘destroyed’ the university academics’ previous salary structure,” he said.
“They say serious financial difficulties are the reason for not taking action, and they do not give any written assurances,’’ Prof. Weerathunga said.
Many lecturers work far from their hometowns and have limited transfer options, which make it difficult for their children to get into good schools due to rules favouring residents or alumni. They are calling for a 1% quota for university lecturers in school admissions. Although the Education Minister had previously promised this verbally, it was not included in the official circular because public officials refused to enforce it.
Prof. Weerathunga said during the last meeting (July 28), the Education Minister and Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya and the Deputy Finance Minister Anil Jayantha Fernando acknowledged their demands but did not provide any written assurances or concrete actions.
FUTA has submitted a letter to the Presidential Secretariat for a meeting with the President.
However, Chairman of University Grants Commission Senior Professor Kapila Seneviratne said that the budget allocations under this government have increased compared to before.
He said many projects, universities, and faculties require prioritisation. For example, if a university asks for 30 items, perhaps only five may be approved as resources must be shared across all institutions. At the moment, priorities are student accommodation (hostels) and infrastructure for teaching, he said.
He suggested that “it’s important to look at the situation quantitatively by examining how much money is actually given”.
Prof. Kapila said that there is no such thing as a cancellation of a 20% allowance, and he does not have any details about it.
He also said that when universities request staff, academic, administrative, or non-academic related applications, go through the UGC to the DMS for review and approval.
He said the process is ongoing, and universities usually receive the positions they request. It may take some time, but approvals are being granted, and lecturer positions are not being cut. New positions have been allocated to even newly established medical faculties and other institutions.
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