FUTA Strike Action: A Pessimist’s Point Of View
By Nedra Karunaratne -September 27, 2012
Prof. Nedra Karunaratne
The University Teachers are on strike. Who has heard of such a thing? Probably many since the academics are campaigning actively in the print media. Now they are going from town to town collecting signatures for their allocation of 6% of the GDP for education stance. The common man is being educated on the streets instead of the usual lecture halls. The youtube is filled with little clips explaining the various demands made by the academics and why these are justified. The public is being slowly awakened to the reality of the future of education and higher education in the country. The teachers are optimistic that this action will induce negotiations but the pessimist thinks that this is not helping the cause since the government still hears no evil, sees no evil and talks evil or otherwise have not yet borne fruit.
FUTA announced that its members would go on a continuous strike from the 4th of July, and they are still continuing to stand by their word. The government on the other hand has been lukewarm in their acceptance of the need to resolve the problem. The FUTA on several occasions had informed the Minister of Higher Education and the president of the impending strike action with the hope of negotiations but they only received a deafening silence. The government has remained incommunicado on many issues relating to grievances of all sectors and the pessimist finds this to be not so unusual. However, even a pessimist welcomes a streak of light to bring him up from the depths of despair. When will serious negotiations begin?
