The Government Nursing Officers’ Association today (Feb. 12) temporarily withdrew from the ongoing strike action due to the enjoining order issued by the court.

However, the other trade unions will carry on the strike, which entered its sixth consecutive day today. 

On Thursday (Feb. 10), the District Court of Colombo issued two enjoining orders against the Government Nursing Officers’ Association and its chairman Saman Ratnapriya calling for the immediate suspension of their trade union action.

The enjoining orders were issued after taking into account a request made by the Attorney General. He had filed action against the said union and its chairman, seeking an enjoining order from the court to immediately suspend the trade union action of the said association.

The Attorney General also appraised the court of the current deplorable conditions at hospitals due to patient care has been gravely affected.

Nearly 65,000 health workers attached to 18 trade unions in the health sector, including those affiliated with nursing, supplementary and paramedical services had joined this indefinite strike action which commenced at 7.00 a.m. Monday (Feb. 07).

The trade union action is based on multiple demands including transforming health professional services into closed services, increasing the special duty allowance to Rs. 10,000, eliminating parallel salary anomalies caused by eliminating only teacher salary anomalies, the establishment of a ‘Health Administration Service’ representing all health professionals and the delays in providing solutions to problems that have arisen for health professionals.