Private sector nurses across Kerala have launched a statewide strike demanding a revision in wages and improved working conditions, disrupting services in nearly 490 private hospitals and clinics.
The protest has been led by the United Nurses Association (UNA), which represents a significant number of nurses employed in private healthcare institutions across the state.
UNA has stated that the last major wage hike was done in April 2018 and no salary hike has been done for the last 7 years.
The wage benchmark proposed by the UNA stems from a 2016 Supreme Court–linked directive that fixed daily wages at ₹1,333 for private hospital nurses.
The association is demanding that the government fully implement the changes and wage standards outlined in the Supreme Court’s recommendations.
According to UNA leadership, their current demands include fixing a basic salary of ₹40,000, discontinuing mandatory bond-based job appointments, regulating shift systems to ensure fair working hours, and implementing UGC-scale pay for nurse educators in teaching institutions.
Representatives have also urged authorities and the public to move beyond symbolic praise, such as referring to nurses as “angels” and instead ensure working conditions and compensation that allow them to live with dignity. The association had earlier announced a signal strike on February 21, which was met coldly by the government and subsequently resulted in this indefinite strike.
Private hospital management representatives have stated that they will await further action and direction from the government before taking any decision regarding the nurses’ demands.
The striking nurses are primarily demanding:
Implementation of a minimum monthly salary of ₹40,000 for private hospital nurses
To stop bond based job appointments
Better regulation of working hours by introducing proper shift systems.
Provide UGC scale salaries for nursing staff in medical education institutions.
Reports indicate that many private hospital nurses in Kerala currently earn salaries significantly lower than the proposed minimum, particularly in smaller hospitals and clinics.
The protest follows prolonged negotiations between nursing unions and hospital management bodies that did not yield an agreement on wage revision from the past 4 years.
Healthcare services in approximately 490 private hospitals and clinics have been impacted due to the strike.
While emergency services in several institutions are being maintained with limited staffing, routine services such as:
Elective procedures
Outpatient department (OPD) services
Non-urgent inpatient care
Diagnostic and procedural support
have reportedly faced disruptions.
Hospital associations have stated that patient care is being managed with contingency plans, though staffing shortages have created operational strain.
Private sector nurses in Kerala have long raised concerns regarding:
Relatively low wages compared to workload
Extended working hours
Limited opportunities for career progression within the private sector
Despite Kerala being recognized for its strong public health indicators, disparities exist between public and private sector compensation.
Nursing unions argue that wage stagnation has not kept pace with inflation, rising living costs, and the increasing complexity of patient care.
Migration among Kerala nurses has been a persistent trend over the past two decades. Due to comparatively low pay in private hospitals, many nurses seek employment opportunities abroad or in other Indian states offering higher salaries and better working conditions.
Countries in the Middle East, Europe, Australia, and North America have historically recruited large numbers of Kerala-trained nurses.
This migration pattern intensified during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, when global demand for skilled nursing professionals increased significantly.
Kerala nurses are widely regarded in international healthcare systems for their clinical competence, English proficiency, and adaptability. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Indian nurses, many from Kerala played key roles in hospitals worldwide, particularly in critical care and infectious disease units.
(Rh)
