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Health sector: TUs threaten to resume strike

26 Feb 2022

By Maneesha Dullewe Several health sector Trade Unions (TUs) have decided to resume their previously-suspended strike on Wednesday (2 March) if their stipulated demands are not met by the authorities by Tuesday. Speaking to The Sunday Morning, Health Trade Union Confederation Convener Ravi Kumudesh said: “After we called off our strike action on 15 February, we gave the Health Ministry 14 days to provide a solution as agreed after discussion with the authorities,” adding: “As things stand, we have decided that if the authorities fail to resolve these issues within these remaining days, we will definitely be commencing trade union action from 2 March.” The strike action will be based on several demands, Kumudesh said. “The primary demand is to eliminate salary anomalies in supplementary and paramedical services. Moreover, the 30,000-strong supplementary and paramedical services staff do not have a single directorial position within the Health Ministry; another one of our demands is for a directorial post for this segment.” Besides these primary demands, the unions are requesting the authorities to rectify issues with the segment’s graduate employees, their allowances, overtime rates, and delays in promotion procedures.  Kumudesh added that the unions were requesting that a committee be appointed to resolve the salary anomalies faced by the supplementary and paramedical services. He noted that Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella, despite initially agreeing to present a Cabinet paper on this issue at the last Cabinet meeting, had failed to honour the agreement. “We have inquired from the Minister in writing regarding what has been accomplished so far [of the demands], but we have not received a response yet. The 14 days we gave to solve this issue will be coming to an end on 1 March. Therefore we will definitely recommence the stalled trade union action after 1 March since we have no other option.”  However, Kumudesh added that they would monitor what the Ministry and the Government would do until the deadline and that their actions could change based on any measures on the part of the authorities. According to Kumudesh, 18 unions will be taking part in the upcoming TU action. While the Government Nursing Officers’ Association (GNOA) had to withdraw due to enjoining orders issued by the Colombo District Court, he said additional unions would be joining the strike.  Attempts to contact Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella were futile.  


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