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Non-medical health staff strike on Friday

09 Jun 2021

By Dinitha Rathnayake   Non-medical health sector employees are to conduct a five-hour strike in hospitals islandwide on 11 June citing the Health Ministry’s policy of increasing only the allowances of medical health staff, specifically doctors, and recommending the provision of an additional service allowance only to medical staff. Speaking to The Morning, Government Medical Laboratory Technologists’ Association President Ravi Kumudesh said that excluding medical officers, approximately 35 unions would participate in this strike including the paramedical service, the nursing service, management assistants, ambulance drivers, and health assistants. The strike would start at 7 a.m. and end at 12 noon. A protest would also take place on the same day at around 12 noon. “Our trade union action is against the attempt to divide the commitment of the entire health staff and over neglecting the commitment of non-medical health staff by the medical administration in collaboration with Minister of Health Pavithra Wanniarachchi,” Kumudesh claimed. According to a Cabinet paper presented by Wanniarachchi, it was requested to increase the allowances for medical staff by 78%. “We have 14 demands including the provision of the same allowances to all other services,” Kumudesh added. The strike will not disturb anti-Covid-19-related activities including the operation of lab facilities and hospital facilities pertaining to the treatment of cancer, children and maternity, and the blood bank. Meanwhile, Health Ministry Communications Director and Public Health Services Deputy Director General Dr. Hemantha Herath, speaking to The Morning, said that it is always better to discuss these issues rather than going for trade union action. “We understand the unions and they are trying to address the issues which the workers are going through. However, we should understand that there can be certain delays in payments due to various reasons. Since we have the time to approach this problem in a positive manner, we should try to solve these issues as much as we can.” Dr. Herath also urged the unions to come for a discussion before going for a trade union action. Earlier, a strike was held on 3 June with the participation of 20 unions, excluding the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA), to show their opposition over the alleged sidelining of other health sector workers, who also face the same risk in the fight against Covid-19. Health workers who participated in the strike demanded leave for pregnant nurses where the Government has given three-months pre-pregnancy leave for nurses. The striking health workers issued a series of demands including the provision of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other Covid-19-related safety measures, a risk allowance, meals on working days, transport during travel restriction periods, and special leave for pregnant employees, along with no limits being imposed on the allowances paid for working on public holidays. Confronting a surge in Covid-19 infections over the past two months, health workers have been involved in a range of protests and demonstrations, advancing these basic demands. The Government has not granted any of these long-pending claims. Meanwhile, hundreds of overworked health employees in understaffed and under-resourced medical facilities have been infected with Covid-19.


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