Kerala High Court sticks to ESMA on nurses' strike

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has refused to stay the interim order which asked the state to invoke ESMA against the nurses who are on strike. The court held that  the Kerala Essential Service Maintenance Act 1974 had conferred on the state government the power to prohibit strike in any essential services if it was satisfied that it was necessary to do so in public interest.  

The court on Tuesday recorded the submission of the state that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had convened a meeting of nurses’ association on July 20 and posted the case to July 21. Dr Harish Pillai, state president, Association of Health Care Providers,  moved the court stating that the nurses’ strike was illegal and said that the strike should be withdrawn. The single bench had asked them  to withdraw the strike.