Several health sector trade unions (TUs) including hospital administrations and junior health staff launched a joint strike action from 6 a.m. yesterday (11), demanding an allowance increase of Rs. 35,000.

As per the trade unions, the token strike was launched protesting against the Government’s decision to increase the disturbance, availability, and transport (DAT) allowance by Rs. 35,000 only for doctors.

Meanwhile, trade unions affiliated with the Paramedical Services Front (PMSF) launched a 48-hour strike on Wednesday (10) morning. The token strike which commenced at 8 a.m. was joined by the Public Health Inspectors’ Union, the Association of Sri Lanka Ophthalmologists, the Family Health Services Union, the Government Nursing Officers’ Association (GNOA), and several other trade unions as well. 

In line with the islandwide strikes, the GNOA had launched a 24-hour strike at 7 a.m. on Wednesday (10). The association also staged a protest in front of the National Hospital of Sri Lanka, Colombo. All the striking trade unions held a joint press conference on Wednesday.

Professionals in the Supplementary Medical Service also engaged in a 24-hour token strike on Tuesday (9) in protest of the Government’s move to not grant the said allowance increase to them. Against this backdrop, the professionals in the paramedical services have vowed to resort to a continuous strike if the Government fails to address the issue.

Despite the token strike launched by health sector trade unions, the functions of children’s hospitals, cancer hospitals, maternity hospitals, nephrology hospitals, the National Blood Transfusion Centre, and the National Institute of Mental Health remained uninterrupted on Wednesday.

On Monday (8), the Cabinet of Ministers gave the nod to President and Finance, Economic Stabilisation, and National Policies Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal to double the DAT allowance paid to government doctors, raising it from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000.