Kochi: The hospitals under the Catholic management have decided to revise the wages for their staff including nurses. An 11-member committee has been formed to study the issues and make recommendations. The decision was taken at a joint meeting of KCBC Labour and Health Commissions and the Catholic Hospital Association held here. It was decided that since the government move to fix the minimum wages of nurses was taking time, the Catholic management should devise a new scale. The new wage structure to be recommended by the 11- member committee will be implemented from next month.
This decision was taken following the stand taken by Cardinal George Alancherry that the wages should be revised. The meeting noted that the hospitals under the Catholic management had implemented the minimum wages effective from January 1, 2013. In several hospitals, higher wages are also given. The meeting also said that the Church was compassionate to the demands raised by the staff of the hospitals to raise wages. The meeting which discussed various issues in the health sector, also decided to follow a common HR policy in institutions under the Church. The meeting was chaired by KCBC Labour Commission chairman Bishop Dr Alex Vadakkumthala.
