Kerala private nurses’ indefinite strike begins today

KOCHI: The functioning of more than 450 private hospitals with 50 plus beds would be seriously hampered from today when over 68,000 nurses will go on an indeinite strike, demanding implementation of promised minimum monthly salary of Rs20, 000 and implementation of a Supreme Court judgement in this regard. Talks held between the nurses’ representatives and the Labour Commissioner had failed in Trivandrum the other day.

In July last year, nurses had called off an indeinite strike after the government assured to address their demand. The government had promised to implement the minimum pay of Rs 20,000 to nurses working in private hospitals with less than 50 beds. Though the government had published a draft on the minimum wages in November last year, an order on the revised pay was yet to be issued. State government had issued the order, but it was later stayed by the High Court. A draft notiication was also issued in this regard. The government later said earlier this year that the inal notiication on wage revision would be issued before March 31. Though the stay was lifted, government is yet to issue an order in this regard, inviting the wrath of agitating nurses.

United Nurses Association (UNA) president Jasmin Shah said that the government had sought more time for a consensus, but the UNA rejected it. “As part of the agitation, the nurses along with their family members would hold a ‘long march’ from Cherthala in Alappuzha district to the state Secretariat in capital Trivandrum on Tuesday”, Shah said.

Indian Nurses Association, another trade union outit, would also join the strike from May 12.

A section of nurses was already staging an agitation in front of the secretariat for the last six days pressing their demands.

The private hospital nurses in the state had been on a war path since the past two years demanding minimum wages of Rs20, 000 as ixed by the Supreme Court.

The association has also urged the government to resolve the strike of nurses at KEM Hospital Cherthala.

Earlier this month, the Kerala High Court had observed that the government was entitled to raise the minimum wages for nurses by issuing a notiication.

The state has about 1,100 private hospitals, including 457 with 50 plus beds.