News
Health TUs to resume strike
By Chaminda Silva
The Alliance of Health Service trade unions will commence a continuous strike action from 6.30 am today (13), demanding that they also be given the Disturbance, Availability & Transport (DAT) allowance as doctors.
The decision to launch the strike had been taken after a discussion with the Ministry of Finance officials failed yesterday evening, Convener of the Alliance that comprises 72 health unions, Ravi Kumudesh told The Island.
Kumudesh said in January this year, the Cabinet had approved the President’s proposal to double the DAT allowance for doctors only, raising it from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000.
Following the decision, health sector trade unions demanded that the allowance be provided to them as well, threatening to resort to trade union action.
Chanaka Dharmawickrama, Co-Convener of the Health Trade Union Alliance, said that despite demand that the DAT allowance be determined on the basis of the basic salary of health workers, Finance Ministry and Health Ministry officials had insisted that they were not in a position to grant that request.
Kumudesh said that 72 health sector unions would participate in today’s trade union action.
It has been reported that former Inspector General of Police (IGP) C.D. Wickramaratne has been found dead at his residence in Athurugiriya this morning (17)
it is suspected that he may have taken his own life.
A heated argument broke out between Jaffna District MP Archchuna Ramanathan and Fisheries Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar during the Kilinochchi District Coordination Committee meeting held yesterday (16).
A video footage of the incident shows the MP and the Minister engaging in a heated verbal exchange, following which a physical confrontation appeared to develop when the Minister attempted to grab files reportedly in the possession of MP Ramanathan.
“If you lay a hand on me, I’ll lay a hand on you too… got it?” Ramanathan is heard telling the Minister during the exchange.
Police and officials present at the meeting intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further.
The circumstances that led to the confrontation were not immediately clear.
Archbishop of Colombo Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith has filed an intervening petition before the Court of Appeal in connection with a petition filed by former head of the State Intelligence Service, Major General (Retired) Suresh Sallay, challenging his arrest and detention under the Prevention of Terrorism Act over investigations into the Easter Sunday terror attacks.
The Cardinal has sought permission from the court to make submissions in relation to Sallay’s petition and requested that it be dismissed.
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