Nurses not paid minimum wages, Government to HC

KOCHI: The state government has submitted before the High Court that the nurses’ agitation was due to non-payment of minimum wages in hospitals across the state. Considering a batch of petitions over non-payment of minimum wages, the court asked Lakeshore Hospital to file an affidavit whether it is strictly complying with the minimum wages notification of 2009, in so far as the wages of the nurses and staffs are concerned. A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice P R Ramachandra Menon passed the order while considering a petition filed by R Muralidharan, secretary, Lakeshore Hospital and Research Centre, seeking police protection. The petitioner submitted that they were strictly complying with the minimum wages notification. He submitted that the strike has affected the functioning of the hospital. The court directed to identify a location at a distance of 50 metres away from the hospital premises for the same. However, the nurses association submitted that its members were conducting silent demonstrations seeking to redress their grievances, without any hindrance to the smooth functioning of the hospital.