Thiruvananthapuram: As the world marks Nurses Day on Friday, Kerala remains one state which has not yet implemented most of the recommendations of the Dr. Balaraman panel on improving their service conditions and salaries. In fact, several private managements have scuttled most of the improvements that were enforced.
The panel had made 50 plus recommendations, of which only eight were approved on June 13, 2012.
The labor department accepted the recommendation for eight-hour duty. If a nurse worked for 208 hours a month, the extra hours should be considered for overtime payment. Two hours rest should be allowed if a nurse worked for 10.5 hours.
Maternity leave would be six months and the salary should be disbursed through banks. Recommendations for ESI, PF and Welfare Fund benefits were also accepted. However, out of over 1,500 private hospitals only about 200, where the unions were strong, had implemented these.
Official sources said only one hospital, in Thrissur, was giving overtime for those who worked over 208 hours.
Salary up to 22,500
The Balaraman committee had recommended a salary of Rs 18,000 to 22,500. Hospital managements opposed it. The government, which found it hard to take a decision, took shelter under the minimum wages Act. Nurses' salaries were raised from a minimum of Rs 5,000 to Rs 8,700. Orders were issued on November 5, 2013. As nurses went on strike, the government pledged to revise salaries in January 2016.
The promise was not kept and the nurses launched a strike again. A panel was then appointed on February 11, 2016 to fix revised salaries.
Panels delay implementation
The Supreme Court set minimum salaries of nurses at Rs 20,000 on January 21 and directed the Central government to implement the order within six months. The government then appointed a committee for it and asked all states to enforce the order.
Kerala's response to it was that it had appointed a panel own and would enhance salaries after getting its report. The state government then dissolved a panel appointed by the previous government and named a new one in October last year. The new committee hasn't submitted its report as a consensus eludes it.