Minister Rajitha Senaratne today urged trade unions to refrain from opposing the union rights of other professions, in reference to the ongoing tug-of-war between doctors’ union and nurses’ unions over the midwifery training and the four-year Allied Health Sciences degree issues.
He said doctors should not oppose the four-year Allied Health Sciences (AHS) degree and that in other countries nurses undergo a four-year course.
The Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Development urged doctors to put aside old-fashioned traditional opinions and think only about uplifting the country’s health services.
“A trade union fighting for one persons union rights should not fight against the union rights of another person. It goes against trade unionism,” he said, addressing a ceremony celebrating International Nurses Day held at the BMICH today (May 12).
While asking doctors to refrain from interfering in the issues of nurses, he also urged the nurses’ union to refrain from opposing the demands of other trade unions.
Each trade union should fight to win their own union rights and a joint union struggle, he said.
Dr. Rajitha Senaratne asked doctors to agree and support the four-year Allied Health Sciences degree for nurses which is accepted around the world and not to be envious.
