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GMOA: Teachers’ pay hike, changes in health sector will cause havoc

Published

4 years ago

2022/02/19

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The recent salary increase granted to teachers, in violation of the national salaries and wages policy as well as far-reaching changes proposed in the health sector, would cause a catastrophic situation, Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) spokesman Dr. Prasad Colombage said.

Referring to the crippling trade union action resorted to by 18 health sector trade union grouping, alleging salary anomalies as a result of the increase granted to teachers, Dr. Colombage emphasised that the GMOA strongly advised against the move at the very beginning of the teachers’ strike.

The government owed an explanation whether the administration consulted the National Pay Commission (NPC) before the implementation of the new salary structure for teachers, Dr. Colombage said. The NPC should set the record straight, the GMOA official said, urging the government to re-examine the entire salary structure before the situation deteriorated any further.

“The country is experiencing such a difficult period due to the economic crisis in the wake of the continuing Covid-19 epidemic, and it cannot stomach further shocks”, Dr. Colombage said.

The GMOA official questioned the responsibility on the part of both political leadership and the NPC to address the issue at hand rationally. One-time Secretary to the Labour Ministry Upali Wijayaweera heads the NPC.

The NPC consists of Mrs. Chandrani Senaratne, Gotabhaya Jayaratne, Mrs. Sujatha Cooray, Dr. Madura Wehalle, M.S.D. Ranasiri, Dr. Ananda Hapugoda, Sanjeewa Somaratne, Ajith Nayanakantha, Dr. Ravi Liyanage, Sanath Ediriweera, Prof. Ranjith Senarathna, Eng R.M. Amarasekara, Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Siri Ranaweera, and W.H. Piyadasa.

Dr. Colombage stressed that if the NPC remained silent when politicians caused mayhem, the outfit should be held accountable for the deterioration caused. Appointed in terms of Article 33 of the Constitution, the NPC is responsible for the national salaries and wages policy including monetary remuneration and various other non-monetary facilities of the Public Services. Provincial Public Service and Armed Services and Special Institutions the salaries of whose staff are met by the Consolidated Fund, State Corporations and Statutory Boards, Government-owned Companies, State Enterprises, State Banks including Central Bank of Sri Lanka and other Financial institutions and all spheres of the Public Service as a whole including all regulatory institutions come within the purview of the NPC.

Responding to another query, Dr. Colombage expressed concern that the current agenda of those at the helm of political power and some trade unions seemed aimed at doing away with the existing system. In other words, they appeared to be working in unison to undermine the very basis of the NPC, Dr. Colombage said. Perhaps all political parties represented in Parliament and public sector trade unions should explain their stand on salary issues, he said.

The real issue was almost all those who threw their weight behind the teachers’ strike were now exploiting the situation. Various other sectors would soon join the campaign, Dr. Colombage said, adding that ‘’the government seemed either ignorant of the danger or allowing further deterioration of the public sector with the ulterior motive of privatizing health services.

Dr. Colombage insisted that the GMOA was not in any way for resolving salary anomalies of teachers or any other profession in any ad hoc manner. However, the NPC maintained at the taxpayers’ expense should have been responsible for managing the overall process, Dr. Colombage said. Unfortunately, the politicians who wanted to be in the driving seat at the expense of the NPC had ruined the setup, the spokesman for the powerful doctors’ union said.

“Irreparable damage has been caused to the national salary and wages policy. It wouldn’t be an easy task to take damage control measures,” he said.

Commenting on the proposed token strike on Monday (21) meant to highlight the crisis caused by the government by acting contrary to the national policy as regards salaries and wages, Dr. Colombage urged the ruling coalition to address the issue at hand or face the consequences. Another matter of serious concern is the push for accommodation of nurses in the proposed University outside the Z score, Dr. Colombage said. That would create an unprecedented crisis as the process would be automatically outside the purview of the University Grants Commission (UGC) once the requirement for Z score was done away with, the GMOA spokesperson said.

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Maldivian President plants a sapling to mark 60 years of Sri Lanka–Maldives Diplomatic Relations

Published

4 hours ago

2026/05/4

Priyan

President of the Maldives, Dr Mohamed Muizzu, who is on a State Visit to Sri Lanka at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, planted a sapling this afternoon (04) at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo to commemorate 60 years of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

Upon arrival at the Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu was warmly received by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Children lined both sides of the pathway holding the national flags of the two countries and paid tribute to the visiting Maldivian President.

Among those present at the occasion were Deputy Speaker Rizvi Salih, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath and the Mayor of Colombo, Vraie Cally Balthazaar, along with several other dignitaries.

[President’s Media Division (PMD)]

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Sri Lanka and Maldives strengthen ties with productive bilateral talks

Published

4 hours ago

2026/05/4

Priyan

Following the bilateral meeting between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives, who is currently on a State visit to Sri Lanka, official-level bilateral discussions between the delegations of the two countries were held this morning (04) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The discussions commenced after the formal welcome ceremony accorded to President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu earlier this morning within the Presidential Secretariat premises.

Extending a warm welcome to the Maldivian President, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake expressed his appreciation for accepting the invitation to visit Sri Lanka.

President Dissanayake noted that President Muizzu’s visit, taking place as the two nations mark 61 years of diplomatic relations, reflects the strong partnership, mutual trust and longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The President further expressed confidence that the visit would mark a new phase in bilateral relations.

The two leaders engaged in extensive discussions on ways to further expand and diversify multifaceted cooperation, including economic, cultural and social ties, in a manner that delivers mutual benefits to the people of both countries.

Key areas of focus included tourism promotion, educational cooperation, youth and sports development, challenges faced by both nations in the fisheries sector within the Indian Ocean region, education and vocational training, as well as defence training and broader security cooperation.

Representing the Government of Sri Lanka were Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath, Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning, Anil Jayantha Fernando, Minister of Science and Technology, Krishantha Abeysena; Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih, Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retired), Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (covering Europe, North America, East Asia and Oceania, Southeast Asia and Central Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and Legal Affairs) M. R. K. Lenagala, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the Maldives, Mohamed Rizvi Hassan and Director (South Asia and SAARC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Mahesha Jayawardena.

The Maldivian delegation included Minister of Foreign Affairs Iruthisham Adam, Minister of Economic Development and Trade, Mohamed Saeed, Minister of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources, Ahmed Shiyam, Minister of Homeland Security and Technology, Ali Ihusaan, Chief of Staff to the President, Abdulla Fayaz, Principal Secretary to the President on Foreign Relations, Mohamed Naseer; Chief Government Spokesperson, Mohamed Hussain Shareef, High Commissioner of the Maldives to Sri Lanka,Masood Imad; Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Chief of Protocol , Mohamed Shahudy, Deputy Minister at the President’s Office, Mr Mohamed Hassaan and Minister Counsellor at the Maldives High Commission in Sri Lanka, Mr. Ismail Mamdhooh.

[President’s Media Division (PMD)]

News

Maldives and Sri Lanka exchange seven MOUs

Published

4 hours ago

2026/05/4

Priyan

Seven Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), signed across several sectors between the Maldives and Sri Lanka, were formally exchanged this morning (04) at the Presidential Secretariat in the presence of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu of the Maldives.

Marking a new chapter in Maldives–Sri Lanka relations, the MoUs cover cooperation in the fields of health, sports, tourism, education and defence.

Accordingly:

1. MoU on Tourism Cooperation between the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Republic of Maldives was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.

2. MoU on Archiving Cooperation between the Department of National Archives of Sri Lanka and the National Archives of the Maldives was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.

3. MoU on Training and Professional Development of Teachers and School Leaders between the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Skills Development of the Maldives and the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education of Sri Lanka was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism, Vijitha Herath.

4. MoU on Sports and Youth Development Cooperation between the Republic of Maldives and the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka was exchanged by Maldives Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ms Iruthisham Adam and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage.

5. MoU on Defence Cooperation between the National Counter Terrorism Centre of the Maldives and the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka was exchanged by the Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retired).

6. MoU between the Ministry of Defence and National Service of the Maldives and General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University of Sri Lanka was exchanged by the Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad and the Vice Chancellor of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University, Rear Admiral Dammika Kumara.

7. MoU on Academic Cooperation between the University of Colombo of Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare of the Maldives was exchanged by Maldives High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Masood Imad and the Vice Chancellor of the University of Colombo, Professor Indika Mahesh Karunathilake.

The state visit of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, undertaken at the invitation of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, aims to further strengthen economic, cultural and social ties between the two countries, while enhancing their multifaceted partnership.

Cabinet Ministers, government officials and members of the Maldivian delegation, representing both Sri Lanka and the Maldives, were present at the occasion.

[President’s Media Division]