Private hospital nurses stage token strike, demand ₹40,000 as minimum salary

Private hospital nurses from across Kerala staged a Statewide token strike on Saturday, demanding that their minimum salary be raised to ₹40,000. As part of the agitation, striking nurses held a massive procession through Thrissur city and organised a rights declaration convention near Sakthan Stand.

The protest was called by the United Nurses Association (UNA), which alleged that nurses in the private sector continue to be severely underpaid despite rising living costs and provisions for periodic salary revisions.

UNA president Jasmine Shah said the organisation would intensify its agitation if the government fails to respond to the token strike. “If the government does not wake up even after witnessing this token strike, we have decided to move towards stronger protest measures, including a complete shutdown of hospital services,” he said.

Assurance from govt.

He added that although some private hospitals have offered to raise minimum wages, nurses are seeking an official assurance from the government regarding a revised minimum wage. “Increasing the minimum wage in private hospitals will not cause any financial burden to the government. The delay in issuing such an order is due to pressure from private hospital managements,” Mr. Shah alleged. According to the UNA, representatives from nearly 500 hospitals across the State participated in the protest.

The association noted that the last salary revision was implemented on April 13, 2018, describing the increase at the time as minimal. As per existing norms, salary revisions should be carried out every three years and, at the latest, within five years. However, more than seven years have passed without any revision, even as the cost of living has risen sharply.

Highlighting the wage disparity, the UNA stated that while nurses in government hospitals receive around ₹60,000 a month, including basic pay and allowances, many nurses in private hospitals earn less than ₹20,000 for the same duties.