Docs blame Cabinet for creating public sector salary anomalies

Prez-GMOA meet:

Keheliya promises to stop ministerial interventions

by Shamindra Ferdinando

Health Minister Keheliya Rambuwella has assured the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) that he will submit a Cabinet paper forthwith to bring all public sector salary issues to the notice of the National Pay Commission.

The assurance was given at a meeting chaired by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa at the Presidential Secretariat on Monday (Feb. 28).

Kandy District lawmaker Rambukwella was responding to GMOA President Dr. Anuruddha Padeniya’s request to President Rajapaksa to stop the continuing practice of addressing salary issues by way of Cabinet papers/decisions taken by Cabinet-sub committees..

Dr. Padeniya emphasised the pivotal importance in the National Pay Commission handling public sector salary issues. Pointing out salary anomalies by Cabinet interventions, the GMOA handed over a set of proposals for the formulation of a new salary structure for the entire public sector.

Among those present at the meeting were Finance Ministry Secretary S.R. Attygalle, Health Secretary Maj. Gen. Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Education Ministry Secretary Prof. Kapila Perera, Management Services, Director General Finance Ministry, Director General of Health Services Dr Asela Gunawardena, Chairman of the University Grants Commission Prof.Sampath Amaratunga and Secretary, NPC, Chandrani Senaratne.

The GMOA requested the NPC to address all salary issues in terms of what the trade union called national salary structure.

The meeting took place in the wake of over a dozen health sector trade unions declaring a two-day strike beginning today (2) and an indefinite strike commencing March 10 unless the government addressed their salary anomalies.

Health workers have alleged that the recent salary increase granted to teachers had caused public sector salary anomalies, which should be rectified without delay.

Dr. Padeniya has stressed the importance of taking performance, responsibilities and accountability into account in creating public sector salary structure. The GMOA stressed that the NPC should address the salary issues.

Top GMOA spokesperson Dr. Prasad Colombage recently told The Island that the current dispensation had through interventions by the Cabinet, caused quite a crisis.

Secretary to the NPC Chandrani Senaratne said that they were aware of concerns expressed by various sectors over the issues at hand. She declined to comment on specific issues.