PM to meet warring PHIs today

By Emanthi Marambe

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa will meet Public Health Inspectors tomorrow (28,) to discuss the issues they face.

A spokesman for the Public Health Inspectors union told The Island that they had postponed an executive committee meeting scheduled for today as they could take up their grievances with the PM.

The Public Health Inspectors withdrew from COVID-19 prevention programmes as well as dengue and other duties involved in combatting communicable diseases last week following the government’s failure to provide them with the legal provisions necessary to carry out their duties.

The Union also warned that it was gearing up for major trade union action with the support of 19 trade unions consisting of paramedics and other supplementary unions.

“We are yet to reach a final decision, but it seems that our demands will not be met by the Health Ministry. The majority of the 2,000 members of the PHIs’ union are ready to fight for justice,” Union’s President Upul Rohana said, adding that the final decision on the ongoing trade union action was to have been taken today.