News

Health workers readying for islandwide strike

The Federation of Trade Unions (FTU) comprising 48 unions is threatening an islandwide strike on August 26 if the Health Ministry fails to submit proposals by August 21 to rectify salary anomalies of all categories of staff with immediate effect.

The trade unionists have set an ultimatum to the Ministry to agree to their demand to rectify salary anomalies from 1993 for all categories of employees in the health sector.

However, the Ministry states it needs time to study how best to accommodate the proposals put forward by each trade union to reach a consensus that would be beneficial to all.

"The whole salary structure within the health sector had been disturbed after the salary increase to medical officers," Ministry Secretary Dr. Reggie Perera said.

"The Ministry is only marking time to eventually tell us that the anomalies are too vast and complicated to be resolved now. We don't want that for an answer. We want the Government to give us an early response to our demand," FTU spokesman Ravi Kumudesh said.

Mr. Kumudesh said an island-wide sick note campaign would be held on August 26 if a favourable response is not received in the coming week.

Moreover, if the Ministry fails to issue a circular finalizing the recommendations in favour of their demand before September 14, an indefinite island-wide trade union action would be launched.

The token strike in the Western Province last Thursday crippled hospitals badly as several categories were absent.

"This was the first time that a large number of categories of hospital employees went on strike. Usually it is one category that goes on strike," National Hospital Director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe said.

Labourers, attendants, drivers, lift operators, diet stewardesses, cooks and paramedics who include pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiotherapists were on strike.

Hospital services ground to a halt with patients being turned away at the OPD and clinics. Help from relatives were sought to carry out some of the tasks of the patients. Food had to be ordered from outside due to the unavailability of cooks.

At least a 100 routine operations were postponed although emergency surgeries were carried out.

The doctors did not take part in the trade union action as they got their salary anomaly rectified in June after a crippling strike, but was in support of the demands by the FTU. Nurses also kept away from the strike.