Nurses threaten to strike

By Ishtartha Wellaboda(Bottom Line)
The Government Nursing Officers’ Association (GNOA) warned of a possible trade union action on May 12, the day that marks the International Nurses’ Day. They will resort to this action to protest against the University Grants Commission’s decision to cut the study period for the nursing degree from four years to three years.
According to Saman Rathnapriya, President of the GNOA, his association will push for discussions with the UGC, but if all else fails they will resort to a trade union action together with a number of other associations.
Meanwhile, UGC Chairman Prof. Gamini Samaranayake stated that they arrived at the decision in keeping with a Supreme Court order. However, the GNOA continues to protest against the UGC’s decision stating that the Supreme Court did no pass any order for the reduction of the degree’s time period but only said that the UGC should take a decision after discussions with the relevant parties.
The UGC published an advertisement in local newspapers on April 19 announcing the change in the time period for the nursing degree programme. The announcement read that the decision was the result of close discussions that the commission had carried out with relevant parties following the Supreme Court
decision. However, according to Rathnapriya they were left out of these discussions. “As the representatives for the nurses in this country we should have been included in these discussions,” he said.
Furthermore, he stated that the UGC had announced that students who applied for the degree programme already may change their order of preferences or may choose to leave the programme. According to the GNOA this is a clear indication that even the UGC does not believe in the effectiveness of reformed the programme.
According to Rathnapriya, the Sri Lankan nursing degree was formed according to international standards after closely studying similar degree programmes from reputed universities like King’s College UK and the University of Adelaide Australia. Therefore, one of the major drawbacks of this decision would be the possible threat that prospective foreign employees would face.
“It is clear that this decision will lower the quality of the degree beneath international standards. Therefore, the market value of our nurses in the international job market will go down,” Rathnapriya said. He added, “The country can earn four times as much by sending a professional abroad than sending a labourer. The cut back would do immeasurable damage at a crucial time when there is a huge demand abroad for health service workers.”

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Dear Colleagues,
Let me update you about the newest development of the paramedical degree programme.
It is very interesting the range of replies we get regarding this.The replies range

from-
Nurses in srilanka do not need a degree.

Let them do any thing they want.

They also have a right for education.

Nurses degree is not a big thing for us.Does the GMOA know how much we suffer
in peripheries.

To- The present EX CO has come to power since they can work.Why asking for
our opinion?


I should take this opportunity to thank Peradeniya and Kandy branch unions of the GMOA for continuously following up this issue.The total credit should go to them.Their pushes made the EX CO to act.

But do you know where we are really!

Cont.....