Thursday, March 22, 2012

Health workers call of strike

By Dilanthi Jayamanne

The Joint Council of Profession Supplementary to Medicine called off their strike yesterday following the restraining order issued by the Colombo District Court on Monday. Two patients, one from the Bandarawela Government Hospital and the other from the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital had petitioned the Court against the strike by the Joint Federation of Paramedical Services.

The JCPSM General Secretary warned however that they would hold a general committee meeting today (22) to decide on their future course of action as the government was yet to give into their main demands for an increase in allocation for benefits, provision of promotions that have been delayed and providing employment to graduate paramedical services. The enjoining order by the Court is valid till March 30, 2012.

Fielding questions Jayasekara however denied allegations made by the Health Minister on Tuesday (20) that two patients had died due to the paramedical strike. "We have maintained a majority of our services even during the strike at the National Hospital- especially in the accident service," he said. The union has not received a complaint or does not have information to say that their strike had resulted in two deaths.

When questioned as to why they were not accepting the solutions given by the Ministry to their grievances, he said that the Minster was harping on the solutions which they had not agreed to. They Ministry did not meet their demands while it failed to meet their main demand for an increase in on-call allowances and recruiting degree holders in the paramedical fields.

The Professions Supplementary to Medicine (PSM) include pharmacists, radiographers, medical laboratory technologists, occupational therapists and physiologists.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=48038

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