Solution to all salary anomalies through next budget – Government

The Cabinet has decided that the best way to resolve issues faced by teachers is to address salary anomalies of the entire government sector in the next budget.

Education Minister Prof. Peiris said that the teachers had attempted to have their salary issues solved for 24 years, but none of the governments had addressed it constructively. However, this is the first time that teachers have threatened and stopped teaching.

The question was whether taking union action while the country was fighting a pandemic was reasonable. “We have to think of the safety of everyone. The government is sensitive to the plight of the teachers and we have admitted that this issue must be solved. Representatives of unions met me several times to resolve the issue and they also met the Prime Minister. We must discuss this with the National Salaries Commission and the Cabinet has discussed this twice.”

The Minister of Education said that the budget for 2022 would be presented in November. Prof. Peiris urged the unions not to endanger the lives of people by holding demonstrations during the pandemic.

Prof. Peiris said that the academic and non- academic staff in schools would be fully vaccinated by the end of August and that schools reopened depending on the pandemic situation.

Prof. Peiris said that 87% of academic and non- academic staff in schools had been given the first dose of the COVID vaccine. He urged the rest of the school staff members to get vaccinated as soon as possible. The health officials would start vaccinating those between the ages of 18 – 30 in the coming two weeks, he added.

(Source: The Island)