A total of 72 health sector trade unions, excluding doctors, have announced their intention to commence a strike on February 13. The strike is scheduled to begin at 6:30 am on Tuesday.
The decision to initiate the strike comes after discussions with the Ministry of Finance held today failed to yield a resolution. The dialogue between the Finance Ministry and the Trade Unions centered on the demand for extending the Disturbance, Availability & Transport (DAT) allowance, currently allocated to doctors, to healthcare workers.
In January of this year, the Cabinet approved the President’s proposal to double the DAT allowance exclusively for doctors, elevating it from Rs. 35,000 to Rs. 70,000. Subsequent to this decision, health sector trade unions insisted on the extension of this allowance to their members, issuing a threat of Trade Union action in case their demand was not met.
