Jaffna University Teachers threaten to strike
Posted on December 12th, 2012
Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario . K1J 6G1 . Canada
12 December 2012
OPEN LETTERƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ to
Minister of Higher Education
The Government of Sri Lanka
Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢sƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Parliament,
Kotte, Sri Lanka.
Dear Minister:
I have just read a news item in todayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s (Dec.12) ColomboPage which said ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Teachers of Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Jaffna University to boycott classes until all arrested students released.ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s get one thing right ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the Government should not cave into such black mail.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If they want to strike, then so be it.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Let the teachers know that you pay wages on the ethical basis of –no ticky then ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ no washy. You donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t teach, and then you have not earned your wage.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It should be as simple as that.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ That is a basic Code of Labour.
LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s get one more thing right ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” the Government should go through the due process, to find out whether these students did some thing wrong creating a belligerent atmosphere that might harm other students and their bystanders.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If they havenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t, then release them.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If they have, then meet them with what is due according to the law.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ If they are remanded for a court hearing, then teachers and their Union will have to make some decisions.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They have a choice either to accept what the law says and get back to their classrooms; and if they donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t then they obviously will stay out of the classes until these student are released from custody or from jail as would the law dictates.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And the Jaffna University will be closed until the last student comes out of jail.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ And so be it.
The Union President R. Vineswaran better take off his dunce cap and put on his wise-manƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s cap and deal with the situationƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ intelligently without harming the education of theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil students who want to get on with their studies, careers and lives.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ They deserve that break.
Sincerely,
Asoka Weerasinghe
December 12th, 2012 at 9:02 pm
Asoka,you are very correct!!!
These foolish TEACHERS SHOULD REALISE AND UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE BEEN PAID BY THE GOVT WITH TAX MONEY PAID BY ALL CITIZENS AND NOT BY THE TAMILS ONLY.
Govt should cut all their salaries and other dus IN CASE THEY RESORT TO STRIKE.
It appewars that THEY ARE BEEN PAID BY THE LTTE TNA MPs & TAMIL DIASPORAH THE ROUGHS!!!
December 13th, 2012 at 12:39 am
What these Jaffna University teachers should do is resign and vow not to take any money from the Sri Lankan Government. They should even refuse the pensions paid by Sri Lankan tax payers.
December 13th, 2012 at 5:46 am
Jaffna Uni Staff, please go ahead with your whatever action.
MOHE and UGC, don’t give a damn. You can save some taxpayers money by not paying salaries to this useless bunch.
They will eventually come back to work when their money runs out. The Dias-Pariahs cannot fund them forever, the recession in the US, Canada and Eurozone means they have tough competition for their usual janitor jobs.
December 13th, 2012 at 5:49 am
Well done Sri Lankan Police: Zero Tolerance to these pro-LTTE losers, same should be applied to JVP losers who ruin university education elsewhere.
Identify those who took part in this protest, kick them out of the state university system. Sri Lankan taxpayers should not fund the education of pro-LTTE garbage.
December 13th, 2012 at 6:13 am
Jaffna University authorities may be still afraid of the ltte sympathising students. The ltte factor has to be completely eradicated from the Northern Unis. Since the ltte is a Caste inspired organization, the Caste factor should be removed from the Northern Tamil society. A multi-cultural North is the only answer to remove the Caste factor from the North.
The TNA demand for the North to remain with the present demography (almost all Tamil only) will only harm the Tamils of the North via the Caste issue and insular living styles.
December 13th, 2012 at 10:18 am
What Asoka says is very correct – i.e. “If you don’t teach, then NO PAY.”
Yet there is a problem created by us. The FUTA strike was settled with an “undertaking” that all University teachers would be paid their salaries for the period they were on strike.
Please correct me, if I am wrong. This rule was in existence in Sri Lanka and it was never taken away even the left wing parties were in the Government. So what made this Government to break that rule and create a precedent. This is the trouble with Sri lanka today. We do things without considering the long term consequences and act on a case by case basis. It looks that the “enemy” is within than outside. When is our Government and its leader going to wake up and stand firm on certain issues that affect the country.
December 13th, 2012 at 11:11 am
The good citizens of Jaffna (if any are left) will want education for their children and we should
expect them to take a firm stand against the LTTE thugs. To remain silent is not an option anymore
as they should now realise that it was their complicity and silence that gave the LTTE the strenght to
rule over them and ruin their lifestyle.
December 13th, 2012 at 11:52 am
As much as i disagree with essential services (Teachers, Doctors, Nurses, Police, Fireman etc) going on strike, its not surprising that the only voice standing up for the Students are the Jaffna Uni teachers.
As the author correctly says the Government and vested authorities should go through the due process, charge them or release them within 48 hours under the Law of the Land.
Or is it the case of “our man or our people” policy that we have been witnessing?
December 13th, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Asoka makes very fair suggestion. Perhaps those students after verifying their intentions and verifying whether they had some one behind their activities in the University, should be cleared and sent to Universities in the South. That will help them have a different outlook towards their compatriots in the South and cultivate new relationships.
December 13th, 2012 at 12:16 pm
Charles-
Sensible suggestion provided they don’t get arrested when they light an oil lamp on religious days.