Nurses of UNA drop planned stir; another body to go ahead

Over 68,000 nurses of private hospitals in Kerala called off their proposed indefinite strike over wages from today after the LDF government issued a notification on minimum basic salary of Rs 20,000, their body UNA said.

However, the Indian Nurses Association dubbed as 'meagre' the increase notified and said it would go ahead with its proposed strike from May 12.

United Nurses Association (UNA) state President Jasmin Shah said with the government issuing the notification late last night, the association decided not to go ahead with the strike.

The functioning of over 450 private hospitals with 50 plus beds would have been affected if the nurses had gone ahead with the agitation.

The UNA had last week given the strike call over its demand for implementation of minimum basic salary of Rs 20,000 as assured by the government last year when the nurses had struck work.

"Shah told PTI that a proposed 'long' march from Chertala in Alappuzha to the state secretariat today would also not be held."