The strike called by the Kerala State 108 Ambulance Employees Union over the denial of their bonus has been called off after talks with Labour Minister Bindhu Krishna on Monday concluded with an agreement to pay the workers ₹4,500.

After the three-hour-long talks, Krishna, in the presence of union members, announced that the issue had been resolved peacefully through dialogue after the workers' demands were met.

According to the Minister, the issue had been under active discussion, with seven rounds of talks held at various levels before the ministerial-level discussions on Monday.

Ambulance drivers, management representatives, medical services corporation officials and trade unions took part in the talks.

"After taking into account the needs of the workers, Medical Services Corporation and management, we have arrived at a tripartite agreement," she told the media.

She added that the government had taken into account the potential disruption to the health sector if the drivers went ahead with the strike while arriving at the decision.

Earlier, Health Minister K Muraleedharan sought to invoke the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) to prevent the proposed strike, as it could cause serious difficulties for patients.