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Sacked employees back to work

by Bharatha Malawaraarachchi

In an apparent bid to resolve the strike in the health sector, the Health Ministry yesterday issued a new circular allowing the sacked temporary and casual employees to report to work.

This follows a decision by Minister P. Dayaratne on requests by various sectors including trade unions. "Accordingly, casual and temporary employees who lost their jobs during the strike can now report to work without any problem," a senior Ministry spokesman told the Daily News.

The Ministry decision was conveyed to the Health Sector Trade Union Alliance (HSTUA) which engaged in a strike since September 17.

Earlier, the Ministry decided to cancel leave of all Health Department staff and announced that substitutes, casual workers and temporary employees who did not report for work during the strike would be deemed as having vacated their posts. An Alliance spokesman said they are happy with the Ministry's stance.

However, the Alliance said a decision on the strike was scheduled to be taken at an action committee meeting scheduled for last evening. On Sunday, the Health Ministry asked casual and temporary employees to report to the Director of their respective hospitals and continue work. But the trade union insisted that the Ministry withdraw the circular on the sacking of temporary and casual employees who joined the strike.

Reports from provincial hospitals said a large number of casual and temporary employees who reported to work yesterday were allowed to work.

HSTUA with a number other trade unions held a protest opposite the Fort Railway Station and marched towards the Lipton Circus where they held a rally.

The Health Ministry has already given appointments to 700 new recruits replacing the casual and temporary employees who joined the strike.

The HSTUA on Friday announced that they would continue the strike even after the Health Ministry provided them with a report of Thursday's discussion between the Alliance and the Cabinet Sub- Committee.

The Alliance claimed that they could not accept the report as it does not contain several decisions taken at Thursday's discussion.

However, the Ministry said any further problem in the report could be resolved through discussions.

The HSTUA strike reached the 13th day yesterday affecting routine services at government hospitals while health authorities claimed that services at government hospitals were maintained at near normal levels with Police and Armed Forces' assistance.

Routine operations have commenced at all major hospitals while arrangements have been made to conduct clinics too. The number of employees reporting to work had also increased, hospital authorities said.

Alternative arrangements have been made to conduct medical and laboratory tests. Most tests are done at private hospitals and laboratories with no cost to the patients.

A Health Ministry official said around Rs. 3300 million would be required annually to rectify the salary anomaly according to proposals agreed by both the Ministry and the Trade Union Alliance. The Treasury has requested six weeks to study the proposals as there are many other sectors in the public service.

The Alliance claimed that their strike is being held in almost all hospitals except the Lady Ridgeway Hospital for Children.

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