COLOMBO (AFP) – Sri Lankan workers went on strike on Wednesday in defiance of a government ban to protest a rescue plan for the bankrupt island nation, forcing the closure of hospitals, banks and ports.
President Ranil Wickremesinghe is facing a public backlash over steep tax hikes and spending cuts imposed to secure a sorely needed International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout.
Some 40 trade unions, including government hospital staff and bank employees, called work stoppages.
Doctors at the National Hospital of Sri Lanka in Colombo said only emergency cases were being treated, while appointments were cancelled at private clinics and hospitals.
More details on Thursday’s Borneo Bulletin
