Talks fail to end nurses’ strike in two Thrissur hospitals

Meetings held on Sunday by Jubilee Mission Medical College and Research Institute, Amala Institute of Medical Sciences and executives of the United Nurses Association (UNA) did not end the deadlock over nurses’ salaries, triggering tense scenes outside the Thrissur archdiocese headquarters.

The hospital management maintained that an immediate revision in salaries was not possible but said they would comply with any salary revision announced by the State government.

UNA president Jasmin Shah said the nurses will not withdraw their agitation if justice is not served. The association warned that the protest would intensify as more nurses are brought in in the coming days.

Nurses affiliated with UNA have been on strike in front of two hospitals for the last three months demanding increase in minimum monthly salary to ₹40,000.

Representatives of the two hospitals and UNA attended the meeting chaired by Thrissur Archbishop Mar Andrews Thazhath on Sunday. Managements said they currently pay wages in line with, and in some cases above, the minimum wage declared by the government.

Archbishop Thazhath said he would facilitate an urgent meeting with the Prime Minister, the Minister of Labor and other government officials. He expressed hope that the government would take a final decision on the wage issue within a month and said that efforts would be made to expedite the process.