• Balance in June, unions put scheduled strike on hold

The Health Ministry has given an assurance to the unions representing the professions supplementary to medicine and the paramedical services that the first part of a special allowance related increase would be paid to them in May while the balance would be paid in June. Hence, the unions decided yesterday (2) to put on hold the previously proposed continuous strike.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday, following a meeting held at the Presidential Secretariat with the Health Ministry officials and subsequently within the Health Trade Unions Association (HTUA), the Co-Convenor of the HTUA, Chanaka Dharmawickrama informed thus yesterday.

Meanwhile, the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) said that the disturbance, availability, and transport (DAT) allowance is an entitlement given only for doctors, and that therefore, it cannot be given to any other group. Speaking to the media yesterday, the GMOA Spokesperson Dr. Chamil Wijesinghe noted that the unions must not hold patients to ransom demanding what is not relevant to them.

Unions representing a wide range of health sector professionals, including those in professions supplementary to medicine and the paramedical services such as radiology and laboratory technicians, pharmacists and drug compounders, midwives, dental surgeons, public health inspectors, and entomology officers, but excluding doctors and nurses, have engaged in strikes on multiple occasions, demanding an allowance hike for them. 

On 8 January, the Cabinet of Ministers approved President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal to double the DAT paid to Government doctors, raising it from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000. This compelled the other health workers to resort to protest actions.

Meanwhile, the Government recently issued a gazette declaring all the services, work, or labour necessary for the maintenance of hospitals, nursing homes, and dispensaries as essential services.