Several health sector trade unions to launch strike action tomorrow

Several health sector trade unions including the hospital administration and junior health staff will launch a joint strike action starting from 06.00 a.m. tomorrow (Jan. 11) demanding an allowance increase of Rs 35,000.

The token strike will be launched protesting against the government’s decision to increase the Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance by Rs 35,000 only to the doctors, as per the trade unions.

Meanwhile, the trade unions affiliated with the Paramedical Services Front (PMSF) launched a 48-hour strike this morning (Jan.10). The token strike which commenced at 8:00 a.m. was joined by the Public Health Inspectors’ Union (PHIU), Association of Sri Lanka Ophthalmologists, Family Health Services Union, Government Nursing Officers’ Association and several other trade unions as well.

The professionals in Supplementary Medical Service also engaged in a 24-hour token strike on Tuesday (Jan. 09) in protest of the government’s move to not grant the allowance increase to them.

Despite the token strike launched by the health sector trade unions, functions of children’s hospitals, cancer hospitals, maternity hospitals, nephrology hospitals, the National Blood Centre and the National Institute of Mental Health remained uninterrupted today.

In line with the islandwide strikes, the Government Nursing Officers’ Association had launched a 24-hour strike at 07.00 a.m. this morning. The association also staged a protest in front of the National Hospital in Colombo.

Against this backdrop, the professionals in paramedical services have vowed to resort to a continuous strike if the government fails to address the issue.

Meanwhile, all the striking trade unions held a joint press conference this afternoon.

On Monday (Jan.08), the Cabinet of Ministers gave the nod to President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal to double the DAT allowance paid to government doctors, raising it from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000.