Health TUs to resume strike

By Chaminda Silva

The Alliance of Health Service trade unions will commence a continuous strike action from 6.30 am today (13), demanding that they also be given the Disturbance, Availability & Transport (DAT) allowance as doctors.

The decision to launch the strike had been taken after a discussion with the Ministry of Finance officials failed yesterday evening, Convener of the Alliance that comprises 72 health unions, Ravi Kumudesh told The Island.

Kumudesh said in January this year, the Cabinet had approved the President’s proposal to double the DAT allowance for doctors only, raising it from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000.

Following the decision, health sector trade unions demanded that the allowance be provided to them as well, threatening to resort to trade union action.

Chanaka Dharmawickrama, Co-Convener of the Health Trade Union Alliance, said that despite demand that the DAT allowance be determined on the basis of the basic salary of health workers, Finance Ministry and Health Ministry officials had insisted that they were not in a position to grant that request.

Kumudesh said that 72 health sector unions would participate in today’s trade union action.