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Treasury to study salary anomaly proposals

by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi and Ranil Wijayapala

The Health Sector Trade Union Alliance (HSTUA) strike entered its seventh day yesterday, while the Health Ministry declared that the proposals to redress salary anomalies have been sent to the Treasury.

"We have done our part. The proposals are now with the Treasury and we are awaiting their response," Health Minister P. Dayaratne told Parliament yesterday. A high level treasury committee are studying the salary anomaly proposals prepared by the Health Ministry sub-committee. The Treasury has requested six weeks to finalise its recommendations.

Referring to remarks by the opposition members, Minister Dayaratne said he is expecting to hold talks with the trade union alliance after having a discussion with the Cabinet Sub Committee today.

There are around 98,000 employees belonging to 280 categories in the health sector and the Ministry claimed that around Rs.3,300 million will be required annually to pay increased salaries once the salary anomaly proposals are implemented.

Refuting various reports, Minister Dayaratne said less than 40,000 employees had joined the strike and a majority have reported to work. Doctors and nurses have not joined the strike."We have deployed the Police and Armed Forces with a view to maintain the services at least to a minimum level and not with the intention of scuttling the strike." he told Parliament. Minister Dayaratne also said in 60 major hospitals, services are maintained at near normal level." The number of employees reporting to work are increasing daily, he added.

With the HSTUA sticking to its demands, hospital directors have assured the Ministry that services are maintained at a satisfactory level.

This follows a progress review meeting held under the patronage of Minister Dayaratne on Monday evening.

The meeting was attended by directors of all key hospitals including those from teaching hospitals. Senior officials from police and three Armed Forces also participated. "The meeting was successful and the discussion centred on measures taken to maintain health services and alternative steps intended for the future," a senior Ministry spokesman told the Daily News.

"There is no 100 per cent service but hospital authorities have been able to provide a satisfactory service," the hospital directors said. Many hospitals have begun routine operations.

These operations had been stopped since the commencement of the strike, and only emergency operations were performed.

"Many hospitals have started routine operations with the assistance of the members of the Armed Forces," said the spokesman. Most laboratory tests are still conducted at private hospitals with no cost to the patients.

The Colombo National Hospital commenced routine operations from Monday. "We have done around 40 routine operations - we will gradually increase the number of operations," Hospital Director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe said.

Since the strike began, the hospital has performed 550 emergency operations and commenced services at many essential units with the assistance of the Armed Forces. The trade union alliance said they would continue the strike until their demands are granted.

"We urge the Ministry to take swift measures to solve the crisis without causing hardships to patients," an Alliance spokesman added. The Ministry said the number of employees reporting to work had considerably increased. All staff members were present at several hospitals.

Some employees coming for duty had been turned away by organised groups. These employees on their way to work had been threatened and sent back, preventing them from reporting to work.

The Health Ministry will recruit retired health sector employees for 14 categories coming under Professions Supplementary to Medicine. This includes categories from pharmacists, radio therapists, medical laboratory technicians. Those recruited will be paid the salary they received at the time of retirement together with their pension.

The Ministry requested them to report to hospitals where they worked at the time of retirement. The Ministry has already recruited over 700 new persons replacing the casual and temporary employees who joined the strike.

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