The Alliance of Health Services Trade Unions has announced the suspension of the impending strike scheduled to commence tomorrow (07) across hospitals nationwide. This decision comes in light of successful initial negotiations held with the President’s Secretary and the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance.
A temporary halt to the strike has been agreed upon until next Tuesday (13), pending further discussions by the official committee tasked with devising a structural solution. This committee is set to convene on Monday to address grievances and propose viable resolutions.
During the negotiations, concerns were raised regarding the disparity in the distribution of the Dangerous Allowance and Treatment (DAT) allowance, which currently benefits only doctors with 35,000 rupees. It was unanimously agreed that other healthcare workers should also receive a similar allowance.
To address this issue, a committee comprising 6 union representatives, 6 finance ministry officials, and 3 health ministry officials has been formed. Their mandate includes investigating and preparing a comprehensive report on the appropriate amounts and timelines for providing allowances to various health worker groups.
Ravi Kumudesh, the convenor of the alliance, expressed confidence in the committee’s ability to reach a consensus and prepare a comprehensive report by next Monday (12).
