AMS to refrain from trade union action

Colombo, March 4 (Daily Mirror)- Despite recognizing the legitimacy of trade union (TU) action taken by doctors’ unions over proposed devaluation of extra duty rates, public holiday payments, and Sunday allowances for medical officers under Budget 2025, the Association of Medical Specialists (AMS) has decided not to engage in such action at this moment. 

In a statement issued on February 20, 2025, the AMS emphasized that these changes would significantly undervalue the after-hours and public holiday work performed by doctors, which is crucial for maintaining an uninterrupted healthcare system.

However, the association remains deeply concerned about the longstanding demands of state-sector medical specialists that remain unaddressed.

The AMS highlighted that the failure to meet these demands has contributed to both internal and external brain drain, leading to a severe shortage of medical specialists in the public healthcare sector. 

One key concern raised by the AMS is the exclusion of medical specialists from the PA 22/99 circular on transport allowances, which is available to other government officers in parallel grades (SL3). This has created significant difficulties for specialists who provide 24/7 services, often working far from their homes.

In addition, the AMS criticized the current voucher-based extra duty payment system, which does not recognize mandatory off-site after-hours work. Specialists must remain available after hours, often at the cost of their personal lives, to ensure the healthcare system runs smoothly. 

The AMS suggested rectifying this issue by introducing a fixed allowance to cover both on-site and off-site duties, along with an update to the Disturbance and Availability (DAT) allowance, reflecting the qualifications required to be a medical specialist (SLQF 12).

Furthermore, the AMS pointed out that medical specialists are burdened with numerous non-clinical responsibilities, including undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and participation in technical committees. The association stressed the need for a specialist allowance to compensate for these additional duties.

As a top priority, the AMS urged the government to implement a long-overdue special Service Minute for medical specialists, similar to those granted to the judiciary and the Attorney General’s Department.

The AMS stated that it is currently engaged in constructive discussions with government authorities to address these concerns and is awaiting a favorable response.

Meanwhile, the Government Medical Officers’ Association (GMOA) has decided to resort to trade union action, highlighting growing discontent within the medical sector over these issues.