FUTA Struggle: 100 Days Through The Vision Of Cartoonists

By A members of FUTA, University of Peradeniya -October 6, 2012
Background

The federation of university teachers association in Sri Lanka – FUTA – is on a trade union (TU) action. The concerns raised by FUTA include funding for education, university autonomy, stoppage of politicization, recruiting and retaining qualified university teachers etc. etc., which could be found among relevant reading by now. The trade union action, which started on 4th July 2012, is nearing 100 days.

One general observation during the time is that, while certain government officials – including ministers (NOT from higher education sector though) and officials from treasury – are making a genuine effort to solve the issues amicably, the higher education authorities and their allies are making an unprecedented effort to disrupt, discredit and derail the process. This is being done by way of filing fundamental right court cases by instigated students, giving undue publicity against FUTA TU action using less qualified political henchmen from university staff, who are willing to brand the FUTA struggle as anti-government, anti-Buddhist, pro-terrorists etc, to obtain personal benefits.

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