Kaviratne urges Govt to settle teachers’ salary arrears

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Rohini Kaviratne has criticized the government’s handling of the ongoing salary arrears issue affecting teachers, principals, and education professionals.

In a recent press release, Kaviratne condemned statements made by Deputy Minister of Education Mahinda Jayasinghe, claiming that the government’s failure to settle the remaining arrears reflects negligence and a lack of respect for the education sector.

Kaviratne, who first raised the issue in Parliament in December 2020, highlighted the efforts of teachers’ unions and public demonstrations, including a 120-day struggle, which successfully secured one-third of the salary arrears.

However, the remaining two-thirds of the dues remain unresolved, sparking ongoing protests and demands for justice from education professionals across the country.

Deputy Minister Jayasinghe recently suggested that teachers and principals would need to undergo a “rigorous professional review” and a “competitive examination” to receive the remaining arrears.

Kaviratne criticized this remark, calling it “insulting and deceitful,” and argued that the disparity in salaries was not due to unqualified personnel, but rather the government’s refusal to pay the outstanding dues.

“Teachers, principals, and education professionals clearly understand what the two-thirds of the salary arrears entail,” Kaviratne said, stressing that these dues must be paid unconditionally.

She further accused Deputy Minister Jayasinghe and his group of initially attempting to sabotage the protests in 2021, asserting that they failed to support the effort to secure the arrears from the outset.

Kaviratne also pointed out a shift in the government’s approach to the issue, noting that Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya had previously supported her stance on education but now, under Jayasinghe’s leadership, the Ministry of Education was enforcing a non-payment policy for the remaining arrears.

“The government must fulfill its promise to education workers who overwhelmingly voted for them,” Kaviratne said, adding that “your struggle for fair wages must be resolved by the very government you placed in power.”