FUTA may go for an interim solution though unhappy

The Sunday Times, 26/06/2011,

By Mirudhula Thambiah

Further discussions between the Treasury and the Ministry of Higher Education are due next week to resolve the salary revision of university lecturers, Dr. Sunil Nawaratne told the Sunday Times. The Treasury has reportedly agreed to a salary increase for the university lecturers, but the expected level increase by the Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) is comparatively a little higher. The FUTA says that there is a gap between the expected and the agreed level. “We will sort this out very soon and will reach an acceptable settlement. Even the last meeting between the FUTA and the Minister of Higher Education was cordial and successful. We at the ministry think on the same lines as the FUTA” Dr. Nawaratne added. However, the FUTA spokesman Dr. Mahim Mendis said that they had a recent discussion with the Treasury on their salary revision, and the latest position of the Treasury is to give an interim solution of Rs 110,000, but the FUTA was insisting on Rs 132,000. Later, the FUTA was prepared to accept a compromise figure of Rs 126,000, as an interim solution. Dr. Mendis further said that, although the Minister of Higher Education agreed with the framework of their latest proposal, the FUTA’s aim was not achieved and they were not satisfied at all.