Health workers to launch strike tomorrow

The Federation of Health Professionals says they will engage in an island-wide strike action from 7.00 a.m. tomorrow (07) based on seven demands including the addressing of salary anomalies. 

Co-convener of the federation Saman Ratnapriya stated that nurses, medical laboratory scientists, pharmacists, public health inspectors (PHIs) and several other health sector professionals are expected join the strike action. 

The island-wide strike will be stages based on demands including the transforming health professional services into closed services, increasing the special duty allowance to Rs. 10,000, eliminating parallel salary anomalies caused by eliminating only teacher salary anomalies, establishment of a ‘Health Administration Service’ representing all health professionals and the delays in providing solutions to problems that have arisen for health professionals.

However, the federation said that the strike will not take place at cancer, maternity and pediatric hospitals, hospitals for treatment of kidney diseases as well as the central blood bank.

Meanwhile the President of the Public Service United Nurses’ Union, Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero says that his association will not support the strike action.