FUTA Refuses To Participate In Voluntary Arbitration And Challenges SB
By Colombo Telegraph -
“FUTA vehemently objects to the ministers’ uncouth and aggressive conduct and behaviour and request the minister to follow the norms of engagement in resolving the issues that we raise.” says Federation of University Teachers Associations. Issuing a statement regarding higher education ministers’ attacks on the academic community FUTA says “ In most countries, a highly educated, exemplary minister is assigned education related ministries. However, the trade union action by FUTA has shown beyond doubt that we are burdened not only with a minister that does not portray any of these qualities, but actively renounces strategies that would benefit the entire education sector in this country.”
SB
Issuing another statement regarding submitting to voluntary arbitration FUTA says “FUTA is strongly of the opinion that the issues that it has raised through its trade union action cannot be termed an ‘industrial dispute’ between FUTA and the UGC. The issues raised by FUTA are policy related and need to be addressed through good faith discussions. We have sought legal opinion on this issue and we have been advised that we need not comply with the request to seek arbitration.”
Today Federation of University Teachers Associations has issued two statements regarding higher education ministers’ attacks on the academic community and submitting to voluntary arbitration.
We below reproduce the FUTA statements in full;
11th September 2012
Statement regarding submitting to voluntary arbitration
On the 10th of September, FUTA was requested to attend a meeting at the Ministry of Labour. At that meeting, FUTA received a letter stating that the ‘industrial dispute’ between FUTA and the University Grants Commission (UGC) will be settled through a process of arbitration. FUTA was asked to nominate an arbitrator on their behalf for this process.
FUTA is strongly of the opinion that the issues that it has raised through its trade union action cannot be termed an ‘industrial dispute’ between FUTA and the UGC. The issues raised by FUTA are policy related and need to be addressed through good faith discussions. We have sought legal opinion on this issue and we have been advised that we need not comply with the request to seek arbitration.
Furthermore, FUTA has been participating in negotiations with Minister Basil Rajapakse as well as Dr P.B. Jayasundera. At the last meeting with Dr Jayasundera, the Treasury Secretary informed us of a proposal to find a mutually agreeable long term solution to the problems of university academics. It is extremely puzzling, why less than a week after those discussions, FUTA has been suddenly requested to submit to arbitration. It suggests confusion and worse still, duplicity on the part of the government. FUTA engaged in discussions with various government parties in good faith and with the intention of negotiating a settlement to the various problems affecting the education sector. Instead, through this latest development, the government has demonstrated that it is unable to comprehend the nature of these problems and that its declarations during the negotiation process are worthless. This raises issues of tremendous concern with regard to the state of governance in this country.
FUTA is of the opinion that this attempt to term the issues FUTA has raised as an ‘industrial dispute’ will only serve to deepen the crisis in the education sector. FUTA also wishes to inform the public that it will not consent to voluntary arbitration as the issues it is seeking to resolve cannot be settled in this manner. FUTA requests the government to reveal its position with regard to these issues and to refrain from acting in this contradictory and duplicitous manner.
Yours faithfully,
President/FUTA
11th September 2012
Statement regarding higher education ministers’ attacks on the academic community
In most countries, a highly educated, exemplary minister is assigned education related ministries. However, the trade union action by FUTA has shown beyond doubt that we are burdened not only with a minister that does not portray any of these qualities, but actively renounces strategies that would benefit the entire education sector in this country.
Even after two months into the trade union action, his utterances shows that he does not understand (or pretends that he does not understand) what our demands are about. Though our demands centres around enhancing recruitment and retention capabilities of the university system, safeguarding university autonomy and enhancing free education in Sri Lanka, the minister rather than meaningfully intervening makes arbitrary and unfounded accusations against academics using foul language unbecoming of a public figure.
The uncouthness of the minister has no bounds, which has previously landed him even in jail. Placing a jailbird as a minister of higher education and the meagre funding allocations (to education) in itself shows the attitude of the government to education in the country.
FUTA vehemently objects to the ministers’ uncouth and aggressive conduct and behaviour and request the minister to follow the norms of engagement in resolving the issues that we raise.
Yours faithfully,
President/FUTA
