The Sunday Leader 31/07/2011
by Janith Aranze
The academics who submitted their resignation letters over 3 months ago, decided to call off their trade union action last week and are still waiting for new letters of appointment from the Vice-Chancellors.
Spokesman for the FUTA, Dr. Mahim Mendis, has said that if the academics withdraw their resignation letters it will undermine the trade union action that was carried out over the last 3 months. “We cannot withdraw our resignation letters as we have been advised that it will undermine our trade union action.
The Vice-Chancellors have come together to make a decision not to make fresh appointments as they did not accept our resignations,” Mendis explained.
“The UGC is pressurizing the Vice-Chancellors not to make fresh appointments, it is our fundamental right to resign,” he said.
When The Sunday Leader contacted the University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman, Prof. S.V.D.G. Samaranayake, he denied the UGC was having any influence over the Vice-Chancellors’ decision. “We are not pressurising anybody, I know where you are getting these reports from but it is not true” he said.
Vice-Chancellor of Colombo University, Prof. Kshanika Hirimburegama, said that she hoped the matter will be resolved next week.
“Lectures are being conducted, and examinations are being processed, so hopefully the matter can be resolved quickly and on Monday we shall see,” she said.
