Docs suspend strike following ministerial assurance
January 20, 2012, 9:49 pm , The Island
By Don Asoka Wijewardena The scheduled one-day token strike yesterday by the GMOA Branch Union of the Colombo National Hospital has been suspended as Health Minister Maithripala Sirisena had given a letter of termination of service to Dr. Shirly Herath, the GMOA Brach Union said.
GMOA Branch Union Secretary Dr. Shehen Azeeze told The Island that the scheduled strike had been suspended following Minister Maithripala Sirisena’s intervention and assurance.
GMOA Branch Union decided to take trade union action in protest against what it called unlawful appointments made by the Health Minister to the Sri Lanka Medical Council in violation of the Medical Ordinance.
Dr. Azeeze said that GMOA and SLMC were not politically affiliated associations, and if politicization of these two bodies took place, the GMOA would not hesitate to take strong trade union action. He said: "Appointment of SLMC President and appointments of Prof. Rezvi Sheriff and Dr. Shirly Herath were illegal. Because only four persons could be appointed by the Minister to the SLMC. Minister Sirisena had already appointed Prof. Narada Warnasuriya, Dr. G. Weerasinghe, Dr. Aruna Rabel and Prof. Colvin Gunaratne. The SLMC should remain an independent council, but an attempt is made to politicise it, the GMOA would be compelled to take trade union action."
Dr. Azeeze added that Secretary to the Finance Ministry Dr. P. B. Jayasundara had agreed to meet GMOA representatives next week to discuss doctors’ Availability and Transport Allowance. GMOA would expect a positive action from the Treasury chief, he said.
Asked whether the GMOA could strike work as an injunction had been issued by Courts Dr. Azeeze said. "That injunction was issued by the court only prior to launch of a strike over Dr. Anuraddha Padeniya’s file removal. Before the latest strike decision, we asked our lawyers who said that that injunction did prevent us from resorting to resorting to trade union action again " Dr. Azeeze said.
