Another islandwide health worker strike is planned to be held from tomorrow (April 02), leading to crippled health services

72 Trade Unions under the Health Trade Union Alliance will join the strike, calling authorities to address several grievances including the DAT issue.

In February, the government had decided to raise the DAT allowance by Rs 35,000 for doctors, which had led to health trade unions demanding a similar allowance to be extended to them as well.

However, a crucial discussion is scheduled for today (April 01), involving officials from the Finance Ministry and the outcome of this meeting is to be the final deciding factor of the impending strike.

Speaking in this regard, co-convener of the TU alliance – Chanaka Dharmawickrama has said : “It was initially decided to commence a 04-hour strike islandwide. But the Presidential Secretariat has called for a discussion today and therefore we had decided to limit this to 05 key hospitals only, namely. Kandy, Anuradhapura, Kurunegala, Ratnapura, and Badulla. However, if we do not receive a favourable solution today, we will launch an island wide strike tomorrow.”