THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Members of United Nurses Association on Monday took out a march to Secretariat and district collectorates demanding justice for nursing staff working in private hospitals in the state and implementation of revised wages. The protest was held to express solidarity with nurses of KVM Hospital, Cherthala who are on strike demanding wage hike since last six months. UNA leader Jasminsha said that this was the first time that his organisation conducted simultaneous marches to Secretariat and collectorates in the state.
"This is a warning to all managements who are ignoring our demands. We have deferred indefinite agitations in the past only to avoid inconvenience to the public. But this should not be seen as our weakness," he said and alleged that some of the managements were trying to resort to repressive measures. He said a section of private managements were forcing their members to quit UNA. "Our members are being coerced to write letters stating they have resigned from UNA. Those resisting such pressures are being threatened with expulsion," Mr Jasminsha said.
On the implementation of revised wages, the UNA leader said the paper work regarding wage hike had been completed. Now the matter has to come before Minimum Wages Advisory Board which will have to resolve the complaints and then issue a formal order on wage hike. “We will put pressure on the advisory board to issue the order at the earliest," he said. The nurses working in private hospitals are entitled to get a hike ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 17,000 across all categories. The revised salary would have ensured an increase up to 150 per cent.
