The uteachers blog learns from reliable sources that that FUTA executive committe that met yesterday (20/07/2011) unanimously decided to continue its trade union acion until several key issues concerning the implementation of the proposed interim solution are resloved.
FUTA held a meeting with H.E. the President on the 13th of July 2011, which was followed by a meeting with Dr. P.B. Jayasundara on the 18th of July. This was to discuss the salary structure associated with the salary cap proposed by H. E. the President and the implementation of the rest of the FUTA demands. Although H. E. the president had offered a cap of 115,000 for a Senior Professor, the highest level of the salary scale of academics, the salary structure proposed by the treasury, at the meeting with Dr. P. B. Jayasundara, offered only a Rs. 101,000 for the position of Senior Professor. This figure falls way short of the original FUTA interim demand of Rs. 126000. FUTA has shown extreme flexibility by being amenable to the salary cap of Rs. 115,000 proposed by the H. E. the President, provided that the rest of the FUTA demands were also met.
Out of a total of about 5000 academics, there are only less than 50 Senior Professors in the entire University system, a percentage of just 1% (of all the academics). Having a salary cap of Rs. 101,000 for a Senior Professor translates proportionately to only a meager Rs. 68000 for a senior lecturer and Rs. 44000 for a Lecturer Probationary at recruitment. FUTA feels strongly that this is grossly inadequate to effectively address the issues of recruitment and retention of quality academics in the University system.
Furthermore no firm assurances were given on the implementation framework of the full FUTA proposals and the removal of certain UGC circulars. FUTA is determined to continue and intensify its Trade Union action until these major issues are fully resolved.
The FUTA seeks the intervention of H. E. the President in resolving the confusion in implementation of his proposed salary structure, the removal of the UGC circular under concern and the setting up of a committee to work towards the establishment and implementation of a road map delineating the implementation of the complete FUTA proposals.
