Aug 22, Colombo: Secretary of Sri Lanka's higher education sector trade union, Federation of University Teachers' Associations (FUTA) Terrence Madujith says that the Association will have a crucial discussion on Friday aiming to end their nearly two-month long strike.

The discussion is to be held with the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Dr. P.B. Jayasundara.

Madujith said the FUTA expects to end their strike if the government responses positively to their demands. The Association says that they are ready to stop their strike if they receive solutions for their problems in written form.

The FUTA held talks today with the Minister of Labor Gamini Lokuge and a group of government officials regarding their demands. Upcoming discussion on Friday is an outcome of the discussion held today.

The union is engaged in a strike since July 04 demanding a salary increase for the lecturers and a 6% of GDP allocation for the education sector.

The Sri Lankan government yesterday ordered to close all universities except the medical faculties in the country until further notice due to the protracted strike by the university academics jeopardizing the future of the university students.

The strike commenced by the university academics on July 04 has paralyzed the functions at the country's universities.

Meanwhile, the Marxist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) today demanded the government to reopen the universities threatening that closing the universities will be the end of the government.

"There is no reason to close the Universities at this moment and the Government should provide immediate solutions for the Lecturers who have been on a strike for nearly two months," the JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva said.