Health trade unions decide to go ahead with strike action

The All Ceylon Health Trade Union Federation says it has decided to resort to the scheduled strike action as the discussions held with Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi were unfruitful.

The association said their major demands, except the request to make assistant health workers permanent employees, were not met with acceptable solutions during the meeting held on Wednesday (June 09).

Accordingly, all trade unions of the Health Trade Union Federation have unanimously agreed to go ahead with the strike action which was initially scheduled to begin tomorrow (June 11).

However, emergency and essential services will be provided to coronavirus-infected persons despite the strike action, the association noted.

The demands of the Health Trade Union Federation are as follows: provision of a reasonable allowance for non-medical health staffers in comparison to the 78% increase in additional allowance for medical service from Rs 41,220 to Rs 78,120 per month, reaching a definite decision to fill the health staff vacancies, elimination of cuts in health staff allowances & anomalies in allowances and provision of transport facilities free of charge for health workers on COVID duties.