Private hospital nurses call Statewide strike on Feb. 21 demanding pay revision

Private hospital nurses across Kerala will stage a Statewide token strike on February 21, demanding a long-overdue salary hike “denied for seven years.” The protest has been called by the United Nurses Association (UNA), which alleges that nurses in the private sector continue to be severely underpaid despite escalating living costs and clear provisions for periodic pay revision.

Addressing the media here on Friday, UNA national president Jasmine Shah said that the last salary revision was implemented on April 13, 2018, and even that increase was minimal. As per norms, salary revision should be carried out every three years and, at the latest, within five years. However, seven years have passed without any revision, even as the cost of living has risen sharply, he pointed out.

The association alleged that the State government has failed to take steps to revise nurses’ salaries due to pressure from the Kerala Private Hospital Management Association, calling the continued delay “grossly unjust.”

Wage disparity

Highlighting the wage disparity, the UNA said that while government hospital nurses receive around ₹60,000 a month, including basic pay and allowances, many nurses in private hospitals are paid less than ₹20,000 for the same work. Citing the Supreme Court’s directive on “equal pay for equal work,” the association demanded that the minimum basic salary of private hospital nurses be raised to ₹40,000.

The UNA also urged the immediate implementation of pending recommendations of the S. Balaraman Committee, noting that 32 out of the 50 proposed reforms remain unimplemented even after more than a decade. In addition, the association alleged that the “6-6-12” shift system recommended by the Veerakumar Committee has not been enforced in several hospitals.

As part of the strike, a rights declaration convention of nurses and healthcare workers will be held at Rojy Roy Nagar, near Sakthan Stand, in Thrissur. Ahead of the event, the association plans a massive show of strength involving around 10,000 nurses.