Health workers in black armbands protest against govt.

By Pradeep Prasanna Samarakoon and Chaminda Silva

Health workers will report to work, starting from today, wearing black armbands in protest against the government’s failure to provide relief to them from the Budget 2025.

Government Pharmacists’ Association, Tushara Ranadewa said that all health professional unions across the country would report to work in hospitals wearing black armbands as the government had failed to come up with solutions to the existing issues in the healthcare services.

“If the government does not come up with solutions within one week, we will resort to stronger union action starting next week,” he said.

Ranadewa said that the healthcare professionals worked 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. “Ignoring their plight and failing to provide solutions from the Budget 2025 as promised by the government would drive them to seek employment overseas.

This would further worsen the prevailing crisis situation in the health sector.”

He said that the JVP/NPP unions whose names starting with ‘All Ceylon’ were facing a crisis as their members disheartened by the way those unions had compromised workers rights. “As the Government Pharmacists’ Association, we are also showing our opposition alongside all other professional actions being taken by healthcare professionals,” Ranadewa said.