Salary anomalies woes: Minister promises solution

COLOMBO: Labour Relations and Manpower Minister Athauda Seneviratne yesterday promised to provide an urgent solution to the University non-academic staff salary anomalies problem once all information regarding the issue is provided to him by all parties concerned.

He gave this assurance at a meeting convened with non-academic staff trade union representatives at the Ministry.

The Minister said he took this decision because this issue had to be resolved once and for all as granting of any interim payment until resolution of the issue would further would aggravate problems prolonging the issue.

Seneviratne said employees who resorted to strikes and other industrial action to win their rights should show equal commitment and dedication towards the improvement and furtherance of their respective institutions. Demanding salaries for the period they had engaged in the work stoppage was unfair because no responsible Government would condone payment of salaries and wages for the strike period.

The Minister said although private or another sector could be induced to make payments for the strike period by making use of a personal or other connection, such action could not be taken in respect of the public sector. If any injustice had been caused to university non-academic staff according to the 2006 public sector salary increase, he would soon look into and remedy the situation.

Trade Union representatives who attended the meeting pointed out that University non-academic staff had not received the 2006 salary increase granted for public servants. They also said the circular number 879 had created several anomalies in the salary structure.