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Health sector non-medical unions threaten action from 1 March

23 Feb 2022

  • GNOA to not participate per Court orders
BY Dinitha Rathnayake  The health sector non-medical trade unions are likely to decide on taking trade union action from 1 March if the Government fails to eliminate salary anomalies soon. Speaking to The Morning, the Government Nursing Officers’ Association (GNOA) Chairman Saman Rathnapriya said that 17 unions excluding the GNOA would take part in this trade union action.  “The GNOA has decided to withdraw from the trade union action following enjoining orders issued by the Colombo District Court,” he stated. The health sector non-medical trade unions which were on strike decided to temporarily call off their strike for 14 days from 8 a.m. on 15 February. However, the 17 unions including medical laboratory technicians, pharmacists and public health inspectors would commence the trade union action on 01 March if the demands are not met. A total of 18 health sector non-medical trade unions including those affiliated with nursing, and supplementary and paramedical services commenced an indefinite strike from 7 a.m. on 7 February. The islandwide strike was staged based on demands including transforming the health professional service into a closed service, increasing the special duty allowance to Rs. 10,000, eliminating salary anomalies caused by eliminating only the teachers and principals salary anomalies, the establishment of a “health administration service” representing all health professionals, and addressing the delays in providing solutions to problems that have arisen for health professionals. However, the strike had not taken place at cancer, maternity and paediatric hospitals, hospitals for the treatment of kidney diseases as well as the central blood bank. The strike was also not extended to emergency and life saving services. On 10 February, the District Court of Colombo issued two enjoining orders against the GNOA and Rathnapriya, calling for the immediate suspension of their trade union action.  


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