Nurses to boycott duty in Kerala private hospitals today; protest to hit 5 districts

Thrissur: Nurses at private hospitals across various parts of the state will strike work for an entire day on Monday, demanding a salary hike. The functioning of nearly 100 private hospitals in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kannur, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts is likely to be affected by the strike. Agitation in other districts was called off after the hospital managements agreed to increase the salary.

However, discussions with hospital managements will continue on Monday. The United Nurses’ Association (UNA) launched the strike last week. Though the state government issued a draft notification revising wages, the UNA dismissed it, claiming that the revised pay scale did not guarantee a ₹30,000 increase.

The UNA declared that nurses would not withdraw from the indefinite strike unless the government raises their monthly pay to ₹40,000 per month.

Amid the protests, 13 hospitals agreed to raise nurses' wages to ₹40,000. These hospitals will be excluded from the strike, the UNA said.

Representatives of UNA held talks with members of the All India Health Care Providers Association (AIHCPA) on Sunday. After the meeting, UNA president Jasminsha said during a Facebook Live session that seven private hospitals had agreed to the salary demand and signed an agreement.

The protesting nurses said their salaries were last revised in 2018 and have since become inadequate due to rising living costs. They alleged that although the state government had issued orders for a salary hike in 2023 following earlier protests led by the UNA, the decision has not been effectively implemented.