Health trade unions go on another strike over allowances
February 13, 2024 08:43 am
A collective of 72 health sector trade unions resorted to another strike starting at 6.30 a.m. today (Feb.13).
Health Trade Union Alliance’s convenor Ravi Kumudesh said the purpose of the trade union action is to urge the government to provide them with an allowance similar to that of Disturbance, Availability and Transport (DAT) allowance given to medical officers.
All-Ceylon Nurses Union’s secretary S.B. Mediwatta said a protest will be staged in Colombo tomorrow (Feb.14).
The trade unions representing a wide range of health sector professionals, including radiology and laboratory technicians, pharmacists and drug compounders, midwives, dental surgeons, public health inspectors, and entomology officers have engaged in strikes over the past few months demanding an allowance hike.
The trade union actions stemmed from the Cabinet Ministers’ approval of President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s proposal to double the DAT allowance paid to government doctors, raising it from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000.
