Nurses’ strike disrupts health service across the country

The members of the Government Nursing Officers’ Association (GNOA) have staged an island-wide 24-hour token strike, since this morning. The token strike has caused disruptions to duly services at the government hospitals across the country, Ada Derana learns.

GNOA president Saman Rathnapriya said that the strike has been launched since the authorities failed to provide adequate solutions for some issues after several rounds of desiccations. Rathnapriya added that the GNOA urges Rs. 10,000 provision of transport and risk allowances.

“We will have a final discussion with the Secretary of Health Ministry. The GNOA will continue an island-wide strike, if authority fails to reach a mutual agreement, from 2 January 2015” Rathnapriya said.

The strike will not affect the Lady Ridgeway Children’s Hospital, the de Zoysa Hospital, the Castle Street Women’s Hospital and the National Cancer Institute in Maharagama. The strike will cover 650 hospitals across the island and 28,000 nurses will take part in the trade union action, said Rathnapriya.