Kerala: Talks fail, nurses' stir to stay

Thiruvananthapuram/ Kochi: The talks held here by Labour Minister T.P. Ramakrishnan  to settle the ongoing strike of nurses in private hospitals demanding a salary hike remained inconclusive on Tuesday.  The next round of discussions will be held in  the industrial relations committee attended by hospital owners and nurses unions  on  July 10. Health Minister K.K. Shylaja  also may  attend that meeting. Though separate meetings were conducted with the Indian Nurses’ Association (INA) and the United Nurses’ Association (UNA), both took the stand that they would withdraw the strike only if they get specific assurances on  a decent wage.  

The nurses  have decided to intensify their token agitation  but  agreed not to go into an active strike from July 11. Mr Ramakrishnan said that the government would try to settle the dispute  through discussions.  The organisations can submit their demands and recommendations personally to him at his office before July 10. The hospital managements had earlier taken the stand that a hike in salary above 30 percent was impossible.

HC asks cops to ensure smooth functioning of private hospitals

The Kerala High Court on Tuesday has directed the police to ensure  the smooth functioning of private hospitals in the wake of the strike by the United Nurses Association (UNA). The court issued the interim order on a batch of petitions, including Lourde Hospital, Thaliparamba, Kannur, seeking police protection and to declare hospital work as an essential service. The petitioners  argued that the minimum wages committee constituted by the state under the Minimum Wages Act was finalising and fixing the minimum wages for private hospital employees and the last meeting was held on June 27.

The UNA president is also a member of the committee. No consensus was reached in the meeting and on the very next day of the meeting, the  UNA had issued a notice for  indefinite strike and started it from June 29. They are blocking the entrance, shouting slogans, not permitting new patients to be admitted to the hospital and  threatening  the doctors,  other co-workers and nurses who are willing to join duty, the petition said. The functioning of the petitioner's hospital is totally disrupted and the patients and their bystanders  are facing  hardship and peril. There is an imminent threat to life also.   The court said the interim order will not stand in the way of the discussion being carried out by the government and the association.