The GMOA exhortatory

To decide on trade union action tomorrow:

by Uditha Kumarasinghe

GMOA Secretary Dr. Nalinda Herath

GMOA wants further discussions - Minister Rajitha Senaratne

Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told the Sunday Observer the GMOA was satisfied with the recent discussions. * The GMOA was satisfied with the Government's explanation on the proposed Sri Lanka Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India. * The GMOA expressed willingness to continue discussions. * If the GMOA said something different to what was discussed, then there must be another motive.

Despite the earlier threat posed by the Government Medical Officers' Association (GMOA) to launch countrywide trade union action in the first week of January 2016 over several unresolved issues, the GMOA said a final decision on trade union action will be taken at a special GMOA Central Committee meeting, tomorrow, January 4, 2016. However, the GMOA has expressed its willingness to discuss these issues with the government and has warned they would take a stand if the authorities fail to resolve the issues.

GMOA Secretary Dr. Nalinda Herath told the Sunday Observer they had a joint discussion with Minister of Health Dr. Rajitha Senaratne and Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Malik Samarawickrema on December 29 and claimed the talks were cordial.

"Minister Samarawickrema gave a patient hearing to most of the issues raised by the GMOA. However, a definite answer was not given to the key issues and the two Ministers wanted a stipulated timeframe to discuss the issues with the government and seek a solution. The final decision on our proposed trade union action will be decided on at a special Central Committee Meeting tomorrow, January 4," he said.

Issues

The GMOA has drawn the government's attention to three major issues: Proposals in the 2016 Budget, the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine(SAITM), Malabe and the Sri Lanka Economic and Technology Cooperation Agreement (ETCA) with India. Other contentious issues include doctor's pension, basic salary, official transport facilities, which also include concessionary vehicle permits. Pre-budget, all senior grade State sector employees are entitled to a vehicle, driver and maintenance, while only MPs receive duty free vehicle permits while Doctors are given duty free concessions.

According to the Budget proposals, vehicle permits with duty free concessions would be given to doctors every 10 years. Such permits will be given only twice during the service period.

During the discussions held on December 29, GMOA President told the Health Minister the GMOA maintained a neutral position regarding private medical colleges not confined to SAITM alone. It was upto the government to take a policy decision whether private medical colleges should be set up or not. However, the GMOA said it was not neutral on the SAITM issue as it failed to meet the standards recommended by the SLMC.

A decision has been taken to permit SAITM students carry out clinical practise in government hospitals. "SAITM levies over Rs. 11 million from a student, but the government is paid a mere pittance of Rs. 50,000 for providing training in government hospitals managed with public funds. This is grossly unfair. That is why we call upon the government to take over SAITM and upgrade it by integrating it into the university system,' he said.

Meanwhile, the controversy over SAITM, Malabe was also raised in Parliament on November 5 by JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who alleged that SAITM was involved in fraud and was critical about the government's failure to take action against the Institute.

The SLMC had also published newspaper advertisements in this connection. In a counter move, SAITM had later published advertisements that the degrees offered by them were recognized locally and internationally.

The JVP Leader alleged that SAITM was misleading the public, by claiming that it was affiliated to a recognized medical institute in Russia. He pointed out that when President Maithripala Sirisena was the Health Minister in the former government, he had submitted a report regarding SAITM, which outlined some of the discrepancies. "SAITM continues to deceive the public by offering degrees not recognized by the Sri Lanka Medical Council (SLMC)," MP Dissanayake said. He said the SLMC had informed the Ministry of Health that it did not recognize the Degrees offered by SAITM.

Recommendations

Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne told the MP that the recommendations in the report will be implemented.

Dr. Herath said the precursor to ETCA was the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) introduced in early 2002. But the then government withdrew it due to persistent protests by professionals.

"Similar objections were raised when the incumbent Government attempted to reintroduce CEPA. That is why the Government changed the agreement and renamed it ETCA. The technical aspects in ETCA have been restricted only to ship-building and information technology. But if one were to take a look at history, no agreement signed with India has brought fruitful results to Sri Lanka. Every agreement signed with India had turned out to be disadvantageous to Sri Lanka," he said.

"The Hedging Agreement signed with India during the tenure of the former government is a case in point, where a cricketer was sent to negotiate. Even today, we are paying for those losses. That is why we call on the Government to conduct matters relating to ETCA in a more transparent manner to prevent such lapses once again, he said. Minister Samarawickrema also pledged that GMOA representatives will be permitted to attend any future discussions regarding this agreement.

However, until the Government gives a definite answer, the GMOA would embark on a public awareness campaign, by distributing leaflets and conducting countrywide seminars. "Our struggle has not yet come to an end," a spokesman for the GMOA said.

Final decision

The GMOA would take a final decision regarding trade union action at the Central Committee meeting tomorrow, January 4. "Intelligence services had reported that the GMOA was engaged in an anti-government move to embarrass the government. We categorically state that the GMOA does not favour any government or does not work against any government. A similar allegation was levelled against the GMOA during the tenure of the previous government as well. We are ready to discuss these issues at any time. But we would not hesitate to take a stand if the authorities fail to resolve our issues," he said.

Dr. Herath said "During the tenure of the former government, every year doctors were given incentives and nothing was curtailed. For example, the Rs.15,000 allowance was increased up to Rs.35,000. In the last Budget of the former government Rs.35,000 was to be increased to Rs.40,000, but the incumbent Government granted only a part of it. "We were given duty free vehicle permits for the past ten years.

The former government heeded our protest and didn't sign the CEPA Agreement. President Maithripala Sirisena who was the hen Health Minister gave a patient hearing to our grievances and did not criticise us in the media.

We won many of our demands and there was no need to resort to trade union action," he said.

"Until the Budget 2016 was presented, the GMOA never resorted to trade union action and were watching the situation.

After this government took office, we didn't put forward any new demand. But when the benefits that were given to us were curtailed, we had to launch a struggle to safeguard them," he said.