Health Minister Rajtha Senaratne, in the backdrop of today's token strike by nurses, stressed that solutions were provided to several demands of nurses last week.
He told Times Online that these issues were discussed during two meetings which were held with the Public Service United Nurses’ Union and the Goverment Nursing Officers Association (GMNOA) over the last few days.
However, the Minister noted that certain demands such as salary increments could not be resolved through his intervention since matters pertaining to salaries are decided by the National Salaries Commission which is under the purview of the President.
The Public Service United Nurses’ Union (PSUNU) had decided to launch a two-day token strike at all national hospitals from 7 am onwards today (Mar 26). Accordingly, nurses at these hospitals will be using their sick leave allowance in order to refrain from reporting to work.
The decision to conduct this trade union action was made due to certain unresolved issues face by nurses’, PSUNU Chairman Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero said. However, nurses attached to the Lady Ridgeway Hospital, Castle Street Hospital, De Soysa Hospital, and the Apeksha Hospital in Maharagama will not take part in the strike.
Further, the PSUNU said that nurses employed at the Emergency Unit and the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of national hospitals will also refrain from engaging in the strike action.
Meanwhile, the All Island Nurses’ Union has said that it would not support today’s strike action. Instead, the Union’s Secretary said that a common trade union action will be organised in future with the support of all nurses’ unions seeking that their demands be fulfilled.
(Additional reporting by Damith Wickramasekara)
You can share this post!
Content
Kasun, was born in 28th Sept 1964, the grandson of the legendary author and linguist Munidasa Cumaratunga and son of SSP Bindu Kumaratunga and Winifred
The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) backed by the Excise and Customs Department today launched a fresh drive to collect taxes including some Rs.780 billion listed as ‘collectable defaults’.
Former Sports Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage and former Sathosa Chairman Nalin Fernando have sentenced to 20 and 25 years respectively after they were found guilty in a case of fraud.
The Supreme Court today unanimously dismissed a Fundamental Rights petition filed by five convicts in the 1996 Krishanthi Kumaraswamy abduction, rape, and murder case.
Leave Comments