Dec 17, Colombo: Nurses attached to Sri Lanka's state hospitals are to strike work on Wednesday to win their demands that include an increase in the bonuses and allowances paid to them.

The Government Nursing Officers' Association (GNOA) says the health authorities have not yet granted the demands of the nurses.

The nurses have demanded that the health authorities recruit only graduates; cancel the gazette issued by the Health Ministry on October 5th to allow the Provincial Health Secretaries to recruit nurses; implement the five-day week work plan; and to increase the bonuses and allowances for the nurses.

Secretary of the GNOA, Saman Rathnapriya has said the nurses have decided to strike work in order to get the health authorities to grant their demands.

However, he has assured that the trade union action will be conducted in a manner that will cause least inconvenience to the people adding that the nurses would attend to emergency needs.

The nurses in the Lady Ridgeway Children's Hospital, Castle Street Women's Hospital and De Soyza Women's Hospital will not take part in the strike.