Dons’ allowance hiked from next year

The government decided to increase educational and research allowances of university teachers from 25 to 30 percent from January 1. The university teachers 100-day strike ended following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) reached after discussions between the University Teachers’ Associations and the Higher Education Ministry.

The government’s decision was officially delivered to the Higher Education Ministry yesterday in the presence of a top-level delegation from University Teachers’ unions and Vice Chancellors.

Sri Lanka Freedom University Teachers’ Association secretary Dr Ajith Dissanayaka thanked the government for agreeing to a satisfactory revision in their allowances.

He was happy that some promises have already been met.

Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa said he expected the cooperation of university teachers and other professionals in the future since the government hopes in the coming years to make a massive investment in the fields of education, higher education and vocational training.

Minister Rajapaksa called the outcome of the discussions a victory for everyone who contributed to finding a solution to university teachers’ problems.

They included the President, Higher Education Minister S B Dissanayake, Treasury Secretary, University Grants Commission officials, university teachers and others.

Minister Rajapaksa said results of this victory would benefit the entire nation including the academic community.

Following Ministers Rajapaksa and Dissanayake’s intervention, the government took steps to remove several circulars that obstructed the rights of the university teachers and the independence of the universities as well as to revise a number of other circulars.

The government also agreed to accept proposals of the academic staff in entering into MoUs of understanding with the private sector on external university courses. Since allowances given to university teachers were earlier not considered an income, it led to a reduction in contributions made to the university Employees Provident Fund. That circular has also been revised. Allowances are now considered an income.

According to the new revisions, the increases will be 60 percent for a junior lecturer, up to 75 percent for a lecturer, up to 80 percent for a senior lecturer (second grade) and senior lecturer (first grade) and up to 85 percent for an assistant professor, professor and senior professor. Fifty percent of this increase will be paid from next January and the balance from next June.

From January, the increase in the research allowance from 25 percent to 35 percent will be paid equal to the basic salary. Higher Education Deputy Minister Nandimithra Ekanayake, Higher Education Ministry Secretary Dr Sunil Navaratne, Vice Chancellors, FUTA president Dr Nirmal Ranjit Devasiri, University Teachers Association secretary and high-level representatives attended the event. Sri Lanka has around 4,000 teachers for nearly 82,000 university students.