The indefinite agitation by the United Nurses Association (UNA) demanding wage revision will continue in private hospitals in the district. However, the association has decided to call off its agitation in hospitals which are willing to implement the nurses’ demands.
Some of the hospitals have reached in agreement with the nurses on wage revision. The meeting of the UNA decided to stop agitation in Daya Hospital in the city following such an agreement. The nurses are agitating demanding implementation of Supreme Court directions and recommendations of the Balaraman and Veerakumar commissions for wage revision. Minister for Agriculture V.S. Sunil Kumar, who held talks with the nurses, urged them to postpone the agitation as the district is reeling under monsoon diseases. The government has called for a meeting to discuss the issue at Thiruvananthapuram on June 27.
Admitting that the nurses’ demands were justified, the Minister said the government was against the hospital managements who denied reasonable wages to them.
The discussions held by the district administration had also failed. The nurses are striking in hospitals which have more than 50 beds. The UNA claimed that around 80% of the nurses are participating in the agitation.
The government hospitals and medical college in the district are witnessing heavy rush of patients as there is an increase in fever cases in the district.
