Pension for 200 northern Health workers in dispute

Two hundred retired employees of the health service in the northern region are facing a dispute over their pensions as 15 years of their service period has been as volunteers.

As a result the workers have not been paid their pensions for the past three years.

Though the health workers retired in the year 2020 after working in the health service of the northern hospitals, the Northern Province Health Department they have not been granted the pension.

Some of these employees have been given permanent appointments after completing 45 years.

They have informed by the Health Ministry last year (2022) that the approval of the Cabinet should be obtained for the provision of pensions, but during the meetings with the Northern Province Health Authorities they were informed that the approval has not been received so far.

Health  workers have said that they were engaged in voluntary work for 15 years before their service was made permanent and that it was not their fault that they were given permanent appointments after reaching the age of 45, but it was the officials' fault.

It is grossly unfair for the Ministry of Health not to take measures to give the approval of the Cabinet to grant pensions due to the fact that they have been given permanent appointments and pension cards as well as all deductions have been made from the service salary, they pointed out.

Up to now, the families of the concerned health workers are in dire straits as they have not received any pension or allowance, so they further request that the Health minister's attention be drawn to provide solutions to the problems of those workers.

BY Romesh Madhushanka