'Great injustice': Health Professionals Union raises concern over working hour disparity

The Maldives Health Professionals Union (MHPU) has expressed concern over disparities in official working hours of employees of healthcare facilities, despite the official working days for state agencies during Ramadan set at four hours.

The government working hours during Ramadan is 09:00 am to 01:00 pm.

In a statement on Sunday, the MHPU said that all civil service employees migrated to the new national pay framework in November last year, with all policies related to them now determined under the national pay standards, which requires equity among all civil service employees.

The union said that this makes employing any disparities among civil service employees go against the spirit of the Article 37 of the Maldivian Constitution and Article 4 of the Employment Act.

ރަމަޟާން މަހުގެ ރަސްމީ މަސައްކަތު ގަޑި ކަނޑައެޅުމުގައި އެކި ދާއިރާތަކުގެ މަސައްކަތްތެރިންގެ މެދުގައި ހޮސްޕިޓަލުތަކުން ތަފާތުކުރުން ގެންގުޅެމުންދިޔުން ކުށްވެރިކުރުން@governmentmv @MoHEmv @MoHmv @MvSpokesperson @MMuizzu @MoFmv @MoosaZameer @igmhmv @HMH_mv @KRHmv @aeh_mv… pic.twitter.com/1OTNflKrpY

— Maldives Health Professionals Union (MHPU) (@MaldivesHPU) February 22, 2026

According to the MHPU, under the national pay framework that came into force in 2022, civil service employees who migrate to the new framework are required to work eight hours a day, six days a week.

But with concessions granted by state agencies, some employees work six hours a day, five days a week.

“But we noted that healthcare professionals from certain categories continue to work eight hours a day, six days a week. This is a great disparity among employees subject to equity in pay and employment policies,” reads the statement.

The MHPU also expressed concern that hospitals were making healthcare professionals work beyond the official four-hour working day declared by the President’s Office without providing any additional renumeration, describing it as a “great injustice” against them.

MHPU stressed that healthcare professionals already operate in conditions with significant risk to their health and safety, and that unequal treatment in working hours adds to their mental burden.

The union called on all hospitals and healthcare facilities to follow the four-hour official working day for Ramadan declared by the President’s Office, and to properly renumerate healthcare professionals who are required to work beyond those hours.