Kerala: Nurses gear up for stir from February

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Private sector nurses have decided to go on an indefinite strike in the first week of February across th3 state to protest against the delay in implementing the Minimum Wages Committee-fixed revised pay structure even after three months. The nurses working in private hospitals were to get a hike ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 17,000 across all categories. The revised salary structure fixed after a prolonged sit-in and fast here would have ensured an increase up to 150 percent.

“The hospitals are delaying the implementation on flimsy reasons. Some of them went to the court against the award, but they could not stall it. We have also impleaded in the case,” said Jasminsha, leader of the United Nurses Association.
“After the strike in July 2017, chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan had assured that there would be no vindictive action.However, the private management in various parts of the state had terminated or suspended services of 628 hospital staff including nurses.” 

The association is also up in arms against the KVM Hospital Cherthala where some 110 nurses are on strike for the past 154 days demanding implementation of minimum wages, reduction in duty timings and implementation of ESI facilities.  However, the management refused to accept them citing various reasons. The association expects their threat to take it statewide to put pressure on the managements to end the stir. Representatives of the striking nurses had also met finance minister Thomas Isaac seeking his intervention. However, it has not yielded any result with the management refusing to budge. The nurses have urged the government to step in and find a solution.