Health sector TUs must rethink strike action given its impact on masses

The recent trade union action by health sector workers excluding doctors crippled services in Government hospitals across the country and heaped more misery and suffering on people who are already overburdened with many woes. Thousands who came seeking treatment in State-run medical facilities had to turn back due to the strike action despite the valiant efforts by the Government to keep the hospitals functioning with the assistance of military personnel.

The strike followed a Government decision to increase the Disturbance, Availability, and Transport (DAT) allowance for doctors, but other health sector workers say such an increase only for doctors is unfair and they too must be given a similar hike.

The doctor’s union, the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) has defended the hike in their allowance and said the strike by the others is unjustified.

The trade unions are threatening to re-launch the trade union action next month unless their demands are met, and while discussions are ongoing between them and the Health Ministry, no solution seems to be in sight.

In all this it is the poor patients who suffer.

Available statistics show that close to 1,000 doctors including more than 250 specialists migrated in the past two years putting an additional strain on those serving in Government hospitals. GMOA has repeatedly demanded better salaries and allowances so that medical officers will be encouraged to remain in the country. Given the dire shortage of doctors, any measure to entice doctors to remain in the country is welcome as any more doctors leaving the country could lead to a collapse in the healthcare system.

That said, all personnel working in the health sector play a crucial role in keeping the system going despite its many shortcomings and drawbacks. Nurses, attendants, midwives, technicians, minor staff all together contribute immensely to make the State health services as easily accessible and efficient as possible. Ideally all of them should be paid far better than they are at present and given more facilities so that they remain motivated in their workplaces and serve the public better. But asking for a raise on par with doctors is not realistic and ill-timed given the economic situation in the country.

All State sector workers will get an additional Rs. 5,000 as a cost-of-living allowance from January while from April onward they would get a total of Rs. 10,000 in keeping the Budget proposal for 2024. Health sector workers too will benefit from this enhanced allowance. Given the steep rise in the prices of essential goods, this will not amount to much, but expecting anything more is unrealistic at present.

Sri Lanka’s State sector consists of around 1.5 million workers and a huge chunk of Government expenditure is on salaries and pensions. Though salaries can be better for workers in the State sector, they are entitled to many perks and a pension which private sector workers do not get to enjoy.

Be the workers in the State or in the private sector, everyone can do with better salaries, allowances, etc. particularly given that many have fallen on hard times due to the economic crisis. Those in the health sector are more deserving than most others to have their salaries/allowances raised given the sacrifices they make in the line of work. The COVID pandemic demonstrated the selflessness of health sector workers who put their lives as well as their families at risk to keep the hospitals running and attending to COVID patients.

That said, we appeal to those planning further strikes to look at the plight of the poor masses of this country and not heap further suffering on them. For any trade union action to succeed, it needs the support of the public but by crippling the healthcare system, the strikers will make no friends and get little support for their actions as it only inconveniences the common man and has little impact on politicians and their families.