The 116-day-long nurses’ strike at the Mar Baselios Hospital at Kothamangalam ended here on Thursday night after the management accepted the demands raised by the agitating nurses, including the implementation of minimum wages and reinstatement of those removed from service following the strike.
The deadlock was resolved following marathon talks led by Leader of the Opposition V.S. Achuthanandan at Kothamangalam.
Mr. Achuthanandan told reporters that all nurses who had gone on strike will be reinstated as per the agreement reached between the management and representatives of agitating nurses.
The management also agreed to implement three shifts in hospital services for nurses that include 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.; 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. The nurses will receive minimum wages as per the agreement reached on Thursday.
The management will not initiate any punitive action against the nurses who participated in the strike. Nurses will cooperate in the smooth functioning of the hospital.
A detailed discussion on the agreement reached between the management and the nurses will be held here on Sunday. Ministers for Home and Labour will attend.
The three nurses, who had earlier threatened to commit suicide to press their demands, called off their protest following the agreement reached with the management. Hundreds turned up on the hospital premises to greet them.
The three nurses had climbed on to the hospital’s top floor threatening suicide on Independence Day if issues relating to the strike were not resolved immediately. Earlier, P C George, Government Chief Whip, who met the nurses on top of the building, said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had send a message to the hospital authorities to resolve the strike.
