Kerala nurses association goes on 24-hour strike seeking implementation of minimum wages; emergency, casualty duties exempted

Thiruvananthapuram: A section of nurses working in private hospitals began a 24-hour-strike in Kerala this morning, citing various demands including implementation of the revised wages in the sector.[caption id="attachment_3897985" align="alignleft" width="380"] Representational image. Reuters[/caption]The agitation, which would continue till Friday morning, was called by the United Nurses Association (UNA).Nurses assigned on emergency and casualty duties have been exempted from the strike, UNA representatives said. Their main demand was to resolve the ongoing 178-day-old agitation by the nurses of KVM Hospital at Cherthala in Alappuzha district seeking the implementation of minimum wages.They claimed that the hospital managements had not been paying them minimum wages and other benefits mandated in 2013. Hundreds of nurses on Thursday turned up before the KVM Hospital to express solidarity with their striking colleagues.The state-wide strike was also to protest against the recent police action on the nurses of the KVM hospital who had picketed the national highway, UNA national president M Jasminsha said. He said the agitation would be intensified if their demands were not met.