KOTTAYAM: The three day-long nurses’ strike at Bharath Hospital was settled for the time being after talks between representatives of the hospital management and the United Nurses Association (UNA) on Saturday. According to UNA functionaries, nurses will join regular duties from Sunday.
Around 140 nurses in the hospital went on a strike after a nursing superintendent allegedly manhandled a nursing staff on Thursday. According to Aswathy Chandran, the unit president of UNA, they decided to withdraw protests after the nursing superintendent publicly tendered an apology on Saturday.
“The management has also agreed to provide temporary hostel facility for us at the nursing students’ hostel and cab will be provided from the hospital to the hostel. Those, who cannot turn up for cabs will be provided better rooms in the hospital for the night. Rest of our demands, regarding work-shift timing, heavy workload and others will be settled after discussions at the district labour office on July 19,” she said.
UNA district president Sebin C Mathew, secretary Kiran Joshy, Aswathy Chandran, hospital directors Renuka Viswanathan, Vinod Viswanathan and Smitha Viswanathan participated in the talks. Sebin said the issues regarding wage hike will be settled only in the statewide talks to be held at the Labour Department and in accordance with the directive of the High Court. UNA is planning to enhance its base in the district, constituting units in seven hospitals and has also served strike notices with regard to wage hike, “We will be constituting units in seven more hospitals by next week,” said Sebin.
Nurses urged to withdraw strike
CPM state secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has urged nurses associations to withdraw from the strike. He told media persons here on Saturday there shouldn’t be a situation where hospitals are closed down. “Nurses should not go in for anti-people agitation. They should be able to take the public along. They can approach the government again for talks. No way there should be a scenario where hospitals are shut down,” Kodiyeri said.