The National Zoological Gardens, elephant orphanages, animal quarantine units of the airports and the ports will be affected by a two-day sick note campaign to be launched by the government veterinary surgeons starting today.
"There will be no one to look after the animals all over the country on August 09 and 10 as all our members will withdraw from all our duties in protest against the government’s callous disregard for our problems," said Secretary of the State Veterinary Surgeons Union Dr. Pradeep Kumarawadu.
He said their main demand was to the amendment of the Animal Production and Health Service Minute introduced in December, 2013.
Dr. Kumarawadu said when they threatened a strike in January, Ministry Secretary had promised to amend the Service Minute before Feb. 25.
According to the Ministry’s request, State Veterinary Surgeons’ Union, Veterinary Research Officers Union and Livestock Officers Union had together submitted their proposed amendments by Feb. 13, he said adding that even after 5 months it was not implemented.
Dr. Kumarawadu said they also wanted to be recognised as ‘professionals’ and placed on SL 01 salary scale which other professionals were entitled to.
"We discussed with the National Salaries and Cadre Commission (NSCC) the salary issue, but our absorption has been delayed due to the ministry’s failure to submits its recommendations to it," he said.
The senior veterinary surgeon said 80% of their colleagues were attached to the services under the Provincial Councils. The ministry secretary promised to consider them for class 01 posts at the Jan. 19 discussion, but the pledge had been reneged on.
Dr. Kumarawadu said 34 major posts, including all director posts remained vacant since 2013, but the ministry did not appoint qualified officers permanently for the posts. "They appointed permanent officials only for two posts of Director General and Assistant Director General in the Animal Production and Health Department."
According to him, veterinary surgeons were playing a pivotal role in animal quarantine units in the Colombo and Mattala International Airport as well as Colombo and Hambantota Ports.
"We played a very crucial role in preventing alien diseases coming here via animals and animal products imported as well as preventing food poisoning in local animal products industry through monitoring of meat stalls at local government level," Dr. Kumarawadu said, adding that they had to stop all services today and tomorrow as the government had not responded to their requests favourably.
He said they would only carry out emergency duties in the zoological gardens.
Secretary to the Ministry Renuka Ekanayake, contacted for comment, said the demands of the veterinary surgeons were personal.
"Although they threaten to cripple the services in the ports and airports they cannot do so as a section of veterinary surgeons is opposed to their strike," she said, adding that there was no need to panic over the issue.
The secretary said the ministry had taken all steps on its side to solve their problem, but support from the union side was nil.
Ekanayake said the ministry was scheduled to hold interviews for their promotions on Dec. 22, 2015, but the veterinary surgeons had boycotted them as they were against the marks criteria.
"We cannot interfere in the criteria introduced by the Public Services Commission (PSC)," she said, adding interviews for promotions would be held during the next few weeks.
The senior administrative officer said the unions had submitted their proposals to the amendments of their service minute, but they were too biased in favour of the veterinary surgeons and could not be accepted as there were other officers in the service.
