North-east medical officers to strike

[TamilNet, Monday, 07 February 2000, 13:03 GMT]
The North-east branch of the Government Medical Officers Association (GMOA) announced today that its members would stage a one day token strike on Wednesday, 9 February, condemning the discrimination in the payment of incentive allowance.

According to the Secretary of the Trincomalee Branch of the association, Dr.B.Ganegabahu, medical officers of other provinces serving in the North-east are paid an incentive allowance. But the medical officers with permanent addresses in the North-east were not paid this incentive allowance.

But the Government Medical Officers Association demands all medical officers serving in the North-east province to be paid this incentive allowance irrespective of their permanent residence, he said.

The GMOA, Trincomalee branch has written to the Governor of NEP, Chief Secretary, Provincial Ministry Secretary of Health, Secretary to the Line Ministry and Members of Parliament in this regard.

In the meantime, Secretary to the Provincial Ministry of Health has replied to the GMOA, Trincomalee branch, that the decision to pay incentive allowance only to medical officers who come from other provinces and serving in North-east, has been taken by the Line Ministry.