The healthcare landscape in Keralais bracing for a significant disruption. In a major development, the United Nurses Association (UNA) has issued a definitive ultimatum to the state government and private hospital managements.
Rejecting the government’s recent proposal to raise minimum wages to Rs 28,000, the association has reiterated its “non-negotiable” demand for a basic salary of Rs 40,000.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, UNA President Jaminsha announced that unless their demands are met, nurses across the private sector will launch an indefinite strike starting March 9.
The strike announced by Jaminsha comes at a critical juncture, as the state shifts into high gear for the upcoming 2026 Assembly Elections, with the poll notification expected as early as the second week of March.
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The Rs 40,000 ultimatum: An unwavering strategic stand
The UNA has made it clear that the strike will be selective but severe. Hospitals that agree to the Rs 40,000 basic pay will be exempted from the protest, a move designed to pressure individual private hospitals while minimising total collapse in patient care.
“We will continue our protests at hospitals that are not willing to give the demanded salary,” Jaminsha stated. “There will be no compromise on the Rs 40,000 figure. Hospitals that comply are free to operate; the rest will face a total shutdown of nursing services,” she added.
While routine services are expected to be hit, the association has assured that emergency and trauma services will remain outside the purview of the strike for the time being.
Why now? The context of the deadlock
The current unrest is not a sudden flare-up but the climax of a long-simmering wage dispute. According to UNA leadership, there has been no substantial revision of the basic salary for private sector nurses since 2018.
The last revision that took place in 2018 fixed minimum wages between Rs 20,000 and above on the bed strength of hospitals.
After the update in 2018, a salary revision was announced in 2023 based on earlier UNA protests, but the union alleges it was never effectively implemented on the ground.
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Following these developments, a government order for a hike was issued in 2023. In the latest development, the State Labour Department decided to raise the minimum salary from Rs 20,000 to Rs 28,000 (with those in 800+ bed hospitals potentially hitting Rs 40,000).
The UNA rejected this as “too little, too late,” citing a sharp rise in the cost of living and the “pathetic” condition of professionals in the private sector.
Meanwhile, the private hospital managements are of the view that the government should take the decision on salary revision. Notably, the strike also comes at a politically sensitive time period with the 2026 Kerala Assembly Elections looming ahead.
However, the NSA has maintained that the strike is not being posed to politically oppose a particular government but to raise a long standing issue. In an effort to maintain their point, the UNA has said that the strikes will be majorly targeting private hospitals in the state. |
