Talks fail to break deadlock over nurses’ minimum wage in Kerala private hospitals

KOCHI: The mediatory talks at the Government Guest House here on Wednesday aimed at ending the impasse over the  revised minimum wages for nurses and other hospital employees failed to thrash out an agreement on the issue. Even as the hospital management associations indicated their willingness to follow the norms laid down by the Industrial Relations Committee, the United Nurses’ Association (UNA) and Indian Nurses’ Association (INA) representatives accused the hospital managements of trying to sabotage the revised wage scheme.

They also alleged the managements’ association had raised objections against the revised wages and are unnecessarily dragging the issue.“If the issue is not sorted out by April 15, we will stage protests in specific areas and launch a strike from April 20,” said UNA president Jasmin Sha.INA president Muhammed Shihab also hinted at the possibility of a strike from May 12  in the event of the final notification not being issued by then.AITUC representative K V Mohandas said securing a stay just before the notification was issued is not fair.

The hospital workers’ associations also requested the government to make efforts to get the stay lifted as soon as possible.The High Court had issued a stay, giving the associations one more chance to address the problems and come up with solutions.

High Court representatives P Babu Kumar and A R George, Labour Commissioner and representatives of the hospital management, workers’ associations and trade unions took part in the discussions.Though the draft notification on the revised wages was issued by the government, the High Court had stayed  the proceedings.