Nurses Don Civilian Attire in Nationwide Action

COLOMBO (News 1st); Members of the Public Service United Nurses Union (PSUNU) across Sri Lanka engaged in a work-to-rule action today, highlighting their demands for improved support and working conditions.

Nurses reported for duty in civilian attire instead of their official uniforms at major hospitals such as the Colombo National Hospital, Kandy General Hospital, Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, Kurunegala Teaching Hospital, Matara Hospital, and Anuradhapura Hospital. Despite the action, treatment services were reportedly not disrupted.

Shantha Ilandara, Senior Vice President of PSUNU, explained the reasons behind the action. "We have an agreement from 2015 for a 20,000-rupee allowance and a uniform circular, as well as a recent agreement with the Treasury Secretary on overtime payments. We also discussed raising the teaching allowance for nursing lecturers," she said. "However, these agreements haven't been implemented. So, to express our concerns without impacting patient care, we opted for this symbolic action."

The extent of participation in the action varied across hospitals, with some nurses choosing to wear their uniforms.