Health workers announce massive strike action next week

Colombo, Jan 13 (Daily Mirror) - Non-doctor employees are gearing up for an island-wide strike on Tuesday, January 16, as declared by the trade unions representing the health sector.

According to the trade union leadership, the massive strike is a coordinated effort involving 27 trade unions within the health domain. 

The primary demand of the strike is to express dissatisfaction with the government's decision to increase the Disturbance, Availability, and Transport (DAT) allowance for doctors. 

The trade unions also demand they too be given the DAT allowance. 

Hospitals experienced disruptions in services last week crippling healthcare due to a series of token strikes launched by the paramedical and supplementary health services' unions.