The 800,000-member strong Trade Union Federation of the public sector is threatening to call a general strike if the government brings back the Circular 1 - 2006, which was earlier cancelled by President Mahinda Rajapakse, as demanded by the GMOA which has called on its members to strike.

"The government should not give into the unreasonable demands of the GMOA to bring back the circular which had created a number of anomalies and problems in the salaries of the public sector, especially the lower grades, Convenor of the Public Sector Committee for Review of Salaries," W. H. Piaydasa said at a press conference yesterday (7).

He said the unions had utmost faith in President Mahinda Rajapakse and the Mahinda Chintanaya which was a policy programme aimed at uplifting the poor people of the country, but the doctors who hold patients to ransom have been able to get successive governments to do whatever they wanted. They may be attempting to do the same again," he said.

Saman Ratnapriya, President Health Services Trade Union Federation, said the executive grades in the public sector enjoyed high salaries and a number of perks but the lower grades were the ones that needed relief, especially doctors enjoyed duty free vehicles and all sorts of allowances and their strike is to oppose the lower grades in the public service being benefited by the decision President Rajapakse had made.