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Docs in showdown with Govt. on Tuesday
Over 15,000 Government doctors island-wide are set for trade union action on Tuesday demanding authorities resolve issues related to their salaries and allowances, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) said.
Association Spokesman Dr. Naveen de Zoysa said the health sector will be severely affected when doctors of all hospitals, except for those on duty at the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital in Colombo, Sirimavo Bandaranaike Specialised Children’s Hospital in Peradeniya, National Cancer Institute in Maharagama, Castle Street and De Soysa Maternity Hospitals go on strike.
All Outdoor Patients Department (OPD) clinics and wards will experience absence of doctors from 8 a.m., except for emergency services.
“We are demanding health authorities consider implementing a National Allowance Policy and implementation of approved salary increments for 2015,” the spokesman said.
He said this was the first time the doctors were going on an all-island strike after about two years as talks in the last couple of months had failed to address their concerns.
He said the former Finance and Planning Ministry had issued a budget-proposal related letter to the Health Ministry Secretary (DMS/Policy/Budget 2015) with instructions on amended payments to be made from January 1, 2015.
The letter signed by former Finance Secretary P.B.Jayasundara advised the increase of the Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance from Rs. 25,000 to Rs.40,000, to introduce an allowance of Rs. 20,000 for Specialists and Rs. 10,000 for intern Specialists. The post intern medical officers’ monthly allowance of Rs.750 was also suggested to be increased to Rs. 1,500.
The GMOA charged that the 2015 Budget read by former President Rajapaksa proposed to maintain a salary ratio of 1:4.25 between minor employees and Secretaries(Secretaries to Ministries are top in the salary list of public servants) to accommodate higher annual increments. This was in addition to raising the Cost of Living Allowance by Rs. 2,200 to Rs. 10,000 per month for all public sector employees and raising the minimum monthly income Rs.25,000.
“The interim Budget proposed to increase the salaries of all Government employees by Rs.10,000 rupees and other allowances. This will affect the national wage policy and with time there won’t be a difference between the salary of a doctor and a minor health worker.
He said some unions in the health sector are pressurising for the DAT allowance.
“It is unique to medical officers and we are against it being given to paramedic groups,” he said adding that nurses and midwives have a uniform allowance.
“Service specific allowances are there for university lecturers, doctors and judicial officers. This is based on their profession. Allowances need to come under a policy to determine which groups are entitled to specific allowances,” Dr.de Zoysa said.He said discussions were held with Health Minister Rajith Senaratne and the Treasury Secretary but no response has been received from Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake regarding the allowances.
“The GMOA has a membership of 16,000 doctors around the country. Finance Minister Karunanayake has to take the blame for any inconvenience caused to the public by this strike, he said.