May 16, Colombo: The Marxist People’s Liberation Front (JVP) led All Lanka Health Workers’ Union (ALHWU) temporarily suspended the paralyzing token strike by its workers against a move to introduce finger printing machines to record attendance.

The strikers stopped the trade union action with the promise from the Deputy Minister of Health Jayaratna Herath to have a discussion with the Minister of Health Nimal Siripala de Silva who is now participating in a conference of the Commonwealth health ministers in Geneva.

The discussion will be held next week and the Deputy General Secretary of the ALHWU, Gamini Kumarasinghe said that an all island strike would be the next action if the talks failed.

Meanwhile the Ministry of Health issuing a statement said that the two billion rupee overtime expenses of the Health Ministry could be cut off one third with the introduction of finger impression machines.