Sri Lanka workers defy strike ban

Sri Lankan workers went on strike yesterday 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 bailout.

Around 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.

Electricity workers and bank tellers were also on strike while dock workers staged lunchtime protests.