GMOA blames current wave of strikes on govt.

Accuses SLPP of following yahapalana policy

The Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) yesterday (17) accused the government of following destructive yahapalana policy as regards the ad-hoc increase of public sector salaries.

GMOA Secretary Dr. Senal Fernando, in a strongly worded statement flayed the current dispensation for brazenly violating the national salaries and wages policy. Dr. Fernando alleged that the unscrupulous government actions had compelled the entire public sector to what he called a wave of strikes.

The GMOA emphasized that the current wave of strikes was due to the collapse of the national salaries and wages policy. The GMOA declared that a countrywide token strike would be staged on Monday (Feb 21) to register their protest.

Recalling the irrational and discriminatory policies followed before 2003, the GMOA appreciated the then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and her successor Mahinda Rajapaksa for putting in place a mechanism to ensure proper implementation of salary and wages policy.

Pointing out that there hadn’t been serious issues from 2006 till 2015, it said that the yahapalana lot caused chaos by giving increments to those in the legal profession. The current dispensation has caused further turmoil by making intervention by way of cabinet decisions.

Declaring a country could be destabilized by unprincipled salary and wages policy, the GMOA warned of dire consequences resulting from short sighted government actions (SF)