Mediation likely to resolve nurses' concerns.
KOZHIKODE: Kerala State Mediation and Conciliation Centre (KSMCC) has asked the management of Malabar Medical College Hospital and Research Centre (MMC) to implement the contract between the nurses and the hospital management in full letter and spirit.
The decision came in the meeting called by the mediation cell on Monday. The talk was called on after the strike of 150 odd nurses’ strike at MMC at Modakallur near Atholy entered the 41th day.
KSMCC is an initiative by Kerala High Court and the Kerala State Legal Services Authority. KSMCC initiated the conciliation process pursuant to a directive by the high court on a plea activist K Ajitha.
During the conciliation mediator, Adv Bindu Sreekumar also urged the management to release the 22-day salary of the protesting nurses of February and the nurses should withdrew the hunger strike as they receive the pending salary. The contract, which came into existence on last November 28 has fixed ESI, PF, uniform allowance, extra duty allowance for nurses.
The management says that they had implemented the contract, but the nurses association, United Nurses Association (UNA) denies it. “Regarding the revoke of suspension of UNA hospital unit president N. Sreemesh Kumar, the mediator has convened another meeting on April 7 with the participation of Sreemesh Kumar,” said UNA state secretary, Jithin Lohi.
He said that the nurses would call of the hunger strike on getting the salary but not the strike. Meanwhile, Manager of MMC, Suneesh Kumar. K told DC that they had already implemented the contract and the pending salary would be disbursed soon. “The main issue is regarding the suspension of Sreemesh Kumar,” he said.
