Govt. urges Grama Niladharis not to strike; says will be given priority in vaccination

Staff working at all District Secretariats, Divisional Secretariats, including District Secretaries, Divisional Secretaries and their staff, Grama Niladharis and all field officers including Development Officers will be given priority during the next COVID vaccination phase, the State Ministry of Internal Affairs said. 

Issuing a statement, Secretary to the State Ministry of Internal Affairs, N.H.M Chitrananda stated that several requests in this regard have been made to the Health Minister and Director General of Health Services on the instructions of subject Minister Chamal Rajapaksa. 

He added that the attention the President, Prime Minister, President's Secretary and Senior Presidential Advisor Lalith Weeratunga have been drawn to the issue as well and they have assured that the above officers will be given priority during the vaccination process. 

As such, the State Ministry has called on all such officers not to resort to trade union action and to continue providing services to the public. 

Grama Niladhari officers throughout the country are due to launch an indefinite island-wide strike from midnight today in protest against alleged irregularities in the Government's vaccination drive. 

Unions representing Grama Niladhari officers say they are resorting to trade union action as those who aren't frontline workers are being prioritised in the vaccination drive while officers such as Grama Niladharis are being overlooked.