After the government approved most of their major demands on July 20, including a hike in minimum salary to Rs 20,000, the nurses haven’t received the revised salary till date. Now, the United Nurses Association (UNA) has moved the Supreme Court, seeking to implead in the case.
In June and July, the state had witnessed intense protests by thousands of nurses working in private hospitals demanding fair wages.
Sibi Mukesh, Vice President of the UNA told TNM that before the government could even complete the procedures for issuing the order directing hospitals to implement the revised pay package, the private hospitals association managed to get a stay.
“We haven’t got the revised salary till date making our efforts and the days of long protests futile. Since it was a committee appointed by the government which recommended the salary revision, the state had moved court opposing the private hospitals association. Now we have also moved the court seeking to implead in the case,” he said.
“The Supreme Court has set aside November 3 for hearing the case,” he added.
The United Nurses Association is the biggest platform for nurses working in private hospitals in the state with a membership of nearly three lakh nurses.
The private hospital association in the state had moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay in the revision of salary decided by the state government, after months of protests by the nurses led by UNA.
After the private hospitals association got a stay on the order, the Kerala government moved the court. The UNA’s application, filed in the Supreme Court on Monday, is to implead in the case.
The major demand of the nurses was to hike the basic pay to Rs 20,000. Nurses affiliated to Indian Nurses’ Association had also joined the protest.
Thousands of nurses working in the private sector in the state resorted to protests in June and July.
UNA had called for an indefinite strike from July 17 since the Industrial Relations Committee, appointed by the government, couldn’t address the major demand of hiking basic pay. But UNA called off the strike after the Chief Minister had invited its representatives for discussion.
In a discussion with the CM on July 20, it was decided to accept most of the nurses’ demands.