Lecturers from all state universities across the country have launched a one-day strike today, suspending academic work and affecting lectures and other university activities.
The strike was called by the Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) to urge the government to take immediate action on ongoing problems in the higher education sector.
FUTA Secretary and Senior Lecturer Charudath Ilangasinghe said the government has repeatedly ignored key issues affecting the university system, leaving academic staff with no option but to resort to trade union action.
He highlighted that nearly 12,000 lecturers are needed to run the system effectively, but currently only around 5,000 are in service. Ilangasinghe also noted that last year, 200 lecturers resigned from the University of Peradeniya.
