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.
