CTTU threatens strike over teacher appointments

[TamilNet, Sunday, 16 March 2003, 16:18 GMT]
The Ceylon Tamil Teachers' Union (CTTU) warned the United National Front (UNF) government that if one thousand Tamil medium volunteer teachers now working in the northeast schools are not made permanent within one week the union will launch a continuous strike till the demand is met, in a statement issued Sunday by the General Secretary of the CTTU Mr. T. Mahasivam, said sources.

"About ten thousand Tamil medium teacher vacancies exist in the northeast schools. In other provinces more than fifteen thousand Sinhala medium teachers are in excess. It is inappropriate to link the northeast appointment with the appointment of Sinhala volunteer teachers in other provinces," the statement further states

The present government had given an assurance last year that required funds would be allocated this year to make one thousand Tamil medium volunteer teachers permanent. However the government has failed to keep its promise. The CTTU cannot allow further delay in conferring permanent status to the selected one thousand Tamil medium volunteer teachers who are now holding sit-in protest in front of provincial ministry of education in Trincomalee and zonal education offices elsewhere in the northeast, the statement adds.

Mr.Mahasivam further says in his statement that the provincial ministry of education has selected one thousand Tamil medium volunteer teachers for permanent appointment after interviews, on the approval of the Cabinet of the past and present governments.

The present government, which claims that it is genuinely interested in the welfare of the Tamils, should come forward to grant permanent appointments to the selected one thousand Tamil volunteer teachers immediately, said his statement.