The Hindu : Front Page : Doctors drop indefinite strike plan

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Thursday, May 22, 2008
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Doctors drop indefinite strike plan

Staff Reporter

Government agrees to give them ‘special pay’ to rectify anomalies in pay scale

Hectic parleys held between KGMOA, government
Special allowance package in 4 different grades

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Government doctors have dropped the proposed indefinite strike that was to be launched on Thursday following discussions with the government. It was agreed at the meeting that the doctors would be given a compensation package, including ‘special pay’ to make up for the anomaly in their pay scales.

Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy announced this on Wednesday night after holding a final round of discussion with Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association (KGMOA) leaders.

After three rounds of talks on Wednesday — which did not seem to make much headway, the doctors and the government finally came to an understanding after the latter agreed in principle to the idea of ‘special pay’ that the KGMOA had been proposing all along.

On Tuesday, when the KGMOA leaders met the Health Secretary, they had made two specific demands that either the government take steps to correct the anomaly in pay scale or give the amount as special pay, which would be considered by the next Pay Commission.

Though a compromise formula acceptable to both parties was being worked out, on Wednesday morning, the mood changed completely with the government ruling out both options.

Instead, a third increment was offered to doctors with the promise that the government would reinforce the same through a government Order that this should be considered by the next Pay Commission. This was rejected by the KGMOA, which pointed out that increments could be easily thrown out by the Pay Commission, while a special pay would be naturally absorbed as part of the pay scale.

By 5 p.m., with the doctors declaring that the government’s terms were not acceptable to them, it looked as though the doctors would go ahead with the indefinite strike.

However, in between the Health Minister had detailed talks with Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac, about the feasibility of giving ‘special pay’ to doctors.

The agreement that now been reached is that apart from the two increments already promised, one increment can be given as ‘special pay’ from the entry cadre to the Director of Health Services level. The rest of the allowances would be given as a consolidated special allowance package in four different grades.

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