Colombo, July 2 (newsin.asia): Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa on Friday took steps to provide immediate solutions to five out of the seven demands made by the Public Services United Nurses Union. The President assured solutions to the other two demands from the next Budget.
The President expressed these views at a meeting held with the Public Services United Nurses Union at the Presidential Secretariat.
President Rajapaksa decided to immediately implement the following five demands: 1. Opening up of a University of Nursing; 2. Reinstatement of staff status which was suspended during the Yahapalana Government’s tenure by circular 32/2017 on 07.12.2017; 3. Reinstatement of the mechanism to make promotions from grade iii to grade ii in five years and Grade ii to Grade i in seven years; 4. Rs.20,000 annual uniform allowance, and 5. Referral of the proposal to consider the current 36-hour working hours as five days (30 hours) a week, to a special committee.
The President also agreed to provide an allowance of Rs. 10,000 and an additional service allowance of 1/100 of the basic salary as mentioned in a circular issued by the Ministry of Finance on 24.12.2014 in the upcoming Budget.
The President stressed that the government has the utmost faith in the health sector and will ensure that the nursing service and nurses receive the highest recognition and status.
The President of the Public Services United Nurses Union, Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero, Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Principal Advisor to the President, Lalith Weeratunga, Health Secretary Major General (Retired) Dr. Sanjeewa Munasinghe, Director General of Health Services Dr. Asela Gunawardena and several representatives of the Public Services United Nurses Union were present at the meeting.
