Kerala hospitals hit as nurses strike for pay hike

Healthcare services in private hospitals across Kerala were disrupted on Wednesday as a section of nurses launched an indefinite strike demanding a minimum monthly salary of Rs40,000 and the immediate implementation of long-pending wage assurances.

- AM Abdussalam

The agitation, led by the United Nurses Association (UNA), marks the latest flashpoint in a protracted dispute over pay parity and working conditions in the state's private healthcare sector.

Hundreds of nurses marched to the state secretariat in state capital Trivandrum, raising slogans and holding placards that called for “dignity in service” and “fair pay for skilled care.”

The protesters argued that their salaries, last revised in 2018, have failed to keep pace with rising living costs, leaving many struggling to manage household expenses despite working long and irregular hours.