Dons meet Basil to discuss demands today

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The striking university Dons yesterday said they will be flexible with the government when they meet Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa today at his ministry to discuss their demands, to call off the strike that has crippled university education in the country for the past three months.

Meanwhile, Chief Prelates of Asgiriya and Malwatte Chapters, who advised higher education authorities and leaders of the striking university teachers' trade union to be flexible in their approach to resolve their problems, promised the latter that they would discuss the issue with President Mahinda Rajapaksa on behalf of the students affected by the trade union action.

Federation of of University Teachers' Association (FUTA) Secretary Terrance Madujith said yesterday the Mahanayake Theras promised to discuss the matter with the President.

Asked if there was any possibility that they could meet President Rajapaksa to discuss their problems to end the strike , FUTA officials said they had to first end the strike before they can meet the President.

Asked why they must continue the strike, Madujith said they are continuing the strike until the government reaches a solid solution to their policy matters.

The policy matters as described by Madujith include the establishment of the autonomy in universities, identifying university teachers as a special category and increasing funds for the country's education sector with an allocation of six percent of the GDP.

He said a list of circulars which they thought as "detrimental" to the autonomy of universities must be repealed.

Asked if they were literally demanding a Shylock's "pound of flesh" to end the strike as some ministers had pointed out, Madujith said they are not demanding everything at once.

'We are prepared to show and put into act a great deal of flexibility provided that there is flexibility and validation to our demands by the government. Asked if they had got a solution to their demand of a salary increase, Madujith said that Treasury Secretary Dr P B Jayasundara had told them that he would present a long term proposal for the resolution of their salary problems. "Dr P B Jayasundara had said he would present his proposal by Monday," he said.