Association of Medical Specialists AMS writes to Health Minister Dr. Keheliya Rajapaksa over the health sector trade union action. AMS says that they feel the health sector trade union’s move to declare a continuous strike is ill timed and somewhat selfish at this critical juncture purely from the patient’s point of view. Also they urge the government to work for a long lasting solution in correcting salary anomalies in conformity with the national policy and through National pay Commission giving due consideration to educational and professional qualifications.

Full Letter

The ongoing health sector trade union action has made the poorest of the poor absolutely helpless. We feel that the health sector trade union’s move to declare a continuous strike is ill timed and somewhat selfish at this critical juncture purely from the patient’s point of view. We strongly believe that industrial action should generally be considered as the last resort in winning any trade union demand.

Timing of such action should be decided to inflict minimal collateral damage especially at a time that a global pandemic along with haphazard policy decisions of the government have hit the entire country hard.

We have observed that trade union actions in the recent past have resulted in severe public disgust and dismay, generally towards the public sector. In the recent past, the government has succumbed to trade union pressure granting certain public servants monetary and other perks. These ad-hoc decisions have opened avenues for various groups to fight for their claims.

If this continues in the same direction, all powerful trade unions will be claiming for various demands leading the nation into chaos. As an important professional group in the public sector, we urge the government to work for a long lasting solution in correcting salary anomalies in conformity with the national policy and through National pay Commission giving due consideration to educational and professional qualifications.

We urge you not to give in to the pressure exerted by certain health sector trade unions causing chaos in the country severely inconveniencing the poor public.

We hope and pray that the government will take a serious note of this potential danger and imminent cascade effect which can follow. -End