Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero, who is due to be appointed as the Chancellor of the University of Colombo, speaking to ITN said he will not be quitting from the trade union leadership despite being appointed in any post.
Pointing out that the role of a Chancellor has nothing to do but attend the graduation ceremony, the Thera noted that he is not ready to compromise his independence due to the post of Chancellor. The role as the President of the Public Service United Nurses Association will not be an obstacle to the post of Chancellor either, he added.
Responding to a query whether it would not be a matter of morality had a Chancellor been to a strike action, the Thera emphasised that the Public Service United Nurses Association is not a trade union that launches strike actions. He added that it is his trade union’s role to minimise strike actions as much as possible and therefore there is no problem in accepting the post of Chancellor as the Chief of the Public Service United Nurses Association. In any event was a strike action conducted, nurses are the ones to attend it and not him as the Chairman, the Thero pointed out.
Ananda Thera also revealed that he has been trying to retire from his post as this Union President given the period of time he served in the post, but the members do not allow him to do so.
The Thera also suggested that he has no qualification to accept a post such as the post of Chancellor and therefore the matter of qualification should be inquired from the President, who recommended him for the post in the first place.
LNW
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