Sri Lanka's health workers issue ultimatum

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 June 2004, 16:58 GMT]
The Health Sector Trade Union Alliance (HSTUA) Wednesday issued an ultimatum to the Central Ministry of Health to fulfill their demands before June 28 or face further strike action, trade union sources said.

The HSTUA would launch countrywide sick note campaign on June 29th and 30th. if the health authorities failed to find a solution to their demands, which included the removal of salary anomalies and the increase of salary to temporary and casual employees, TU sources said.

A decision to this effect was taken at a meeting of the leaders of the several health sector trade unions affiliated to the HSTUA held Wednesday, sources said.

Meanwhile, an HSTUA official claimed that the sick note protest by their members on Tuesday crippled the functions of 569 hospitals and 268 health administrative establishments refuting health officials' statement that many hospitals provided a satisfactory service on the day, sources said.