Court issues injunction against health workers’ strike
Saturday, 30 August 2014 05:51
-
- {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Colombo District Court yesterday issued an injunction suspending the three-day long strike launched by the supplementary staff at the government hospitals.
The Colombo District Court Judge Sujatha Alahapperuma issued the enjoining order suspending the strike launched by the Joint Trade Union Federation of Professions Supplementary to Medicine (PSM) after considering a petition filed by a patient of the Colombo National Hospital.
The Joint Trade Union Federation of Professions Supplementary to Medicine (PSM) which include, pharmacists, radiographers, medical laboratory technicians, physiotherapists and occupational therapists launched an indefinite strike on Tuesday to win six demands.
The enjoining order will be in effect until September 12.
The strike paralyzed the patient care at state hospitals and put poor patients seeking free medical care from government hospitals at risk since the country’s affluent obtain medical services from private hospitals.
The Government on Thursday appealed to the striking supplementary medical staff to consider the inconvenience to the people caused by their continuing strike and return to work.
The Supplementary Medical Services Trade Union Joint Federation had said they would continue the strike until their demands are met as discussions held with authorities on August 27 had failed again.
Earlier the union exempted the Lady Ridgeway and the Peradeniya Sirimavo Bandaranaike Children’s Hospitals, Mahamodara, Castle Street De Soysa and Panadura Kethumathi Hospitals for women and the National Cancer Institute, from the strike and assured to maintain emergency and lifesaving services during the strike.
However, after the talks held with the Health Ministry on August 27 failed, the union said they would extend the strike to the maternity hospitals and the National Cancer Institute.
The union, among others, demands the government to grant the promotions in their trades that have been suspended for a long time, implement Class One, Special and Supra-Grade promotions, increase salaries and recruit 200 graduates of supplementary medical science for the vacancies in hospital services.
The Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena requested the paramedical trade union to end the strike as the Ministry is taking measures to provide all demands raised by the strikers.
