The State government is trying to find a middle path to solving the issues concerned with payment of minimum wages in the nursing sector.
The labour minister Mr Shibu Baby John informed the State Assembly that efforts were on to find a way for implementing recommendations made to this effect.
NURSES’ UNREST
The minister’s comments came in response to a calling attention motion. Several cases of labour unrest have been reported in recent times from private hospitals.
An industrial relations committee has been trying to reach a consensus with hospital managements which had not yet implemented minimum wages, the Minister said.
The government was also equally concerned about the impact of minimum wages, whenever they are implemented, on the cost of healthcare.
There is a genuine fear that hospitals would try to pass on the enhanced financial liability to patients. This is an issue that could affect large sections of people, the Minister said.
MINIMUM WAGES
But he remarked that the idea of setting up a minimum wages commission was given up merely because it would have delayed the process of implementation.
The minister also sought to dismiss the charge that the government was trying to scuttle the Balaraman committee recommendations on working conditions of nurses.
One other charge pertained to recommendations with respect to wages, duty time, allowances and uniform not having been implemented yet.
The minister said that at least 50 recommendations made by the commission have a direct bearing on labour laws. The government is studying how to go about fast-forwarding them, he added.
NURSES RIGHTS
His clarifications came after accusations by the member that private hospitals continued to ignore the legitimate rights of nurses and clamped down on their agitation.
The member alleged that many hospitals have since stopped appointing male nurses fearing that they would stoke unrest among employees.
He urged the government to enact a clinical establishment Bill for hospitals and to amend the Nurses and Midwives Act.