Kerala: Nurses end stir as min wages fixed at Rs 20,000

Thiruvananthapuram: United Nurses Association (UNA) and Indian Nurses Association (INA) called off their 22-day-long strike after a meeting of stakeholders chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here on Thursday decided to fix the minimum basic pay of nurses at hospitals with 50 beds at Rs 20,000 as recommended by a Supreme Court-appointed committee. A panel with labour, health and law secretaries and labour commissioner will fix wages.

The panel announced by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will decide the stipend and duration of training of nurses. Mr Vijayan said the committee would submit their report within one month and that it was not at all possible to go back on the pay the apex court fixed. He said the state had a comparatively better pay than others, leading to better living conditions. The government is of the view that the nurses who have a better education qualification are entitled to get paid even better.

Mr Vijayan who held separate talks with trade unions who have representation in the minimum wages committee, the independent nurses' unions and hospital managements in the morning convened their joint meeting in the evening. All agreed to the chief minister. Health minister K.K. Shylaja, law minister A.K. Balan, labour minister T.P. Ramakrishnan and additional chief secretary (labour) Tom Jose attended the meeting. All eyes were on this after talks initiated by the Kerala High Court’s mediation panel failed on Wednesday.