The collective of health sector trade unions are scheduled to meet Minister of Health Minister Dr. Ramesh Pathirana today (19 Feb.).

Accordingly, the meeting was scheduled to take place at 10:00 a.m. today, at the Ministry’s premises, during which the parties are expected to reach a solution to the trade unions’ demands for a hike in allowances.

Health Trade Union Alliance’s convenor Ravi Kumudesh noted, however, that in the event a favourable decision is not reached in this regard, a decision pertaining to their strike action will be taken following the meeting with the Minister.

On 14 February, the collective of trade unions decided to call off their strike action after the Minister agreed for a discussion with them.

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 time and time again over the past few months urging the government to provide them with an allowance similar to that of the DAT (Disturbance, Availability and Transport) allowance given to doctors.

The trade union actions stemmed from the Cabinet Ministers’ approval of a proposal tabled by President Ranil Wickremesinghe seeking to double the DAT allowance paid to government doctors, raising it from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000.