Thiruvananthapuram, 27 March (H.S.):Nurses employed in private hospitals across Kerala will resume their strike from today after conciliation efforts mediated by the High Court failed to yield an agreement. The renewed protest is expected to impact 26 hospitals where a consensus on minimum wage demands has not been reached.

The agitation, led by the United Nurses Association (UNA), is centred on the demand to fix a minimum monthly salary of ₹40,000 for nurses. Despite multiple rounds of discussions facilitated by the court, hospital managements and the union were unable to arrive at a mutually acceptable settlement on salary revision.

UNA State President Jasmine Shah stated that the strike would be limited to hospitals where wage disputes remain unresolved. He pointed out that a majority of private hospitals had already reached an understanding on salary-related issues, and patients could seek treatment at those institutions without disruption. He also assured that the strike would not cause major inconvenience to the public.

Earlier, the High Court had intervened in the issue and facilitated talks between hospital management representatives and the nurses’ union in an effort to break the deadlock. However, negotiations failed as managements maintained a firm stance on the wage structure, declining to meet the union’s key demands.

Meanwhile, the hospital management association has taken a strong position, warning that strict action would be taken against the strike. It has also indicated that hospitals may shut down operations if the situation escalates further.

The resumption of the strike highlights ongoing tensions between healthcare workers and private hospital authorities over wages and working conditions, raising concerns about the stability of healthcare services in the state.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman