Nurses in Kerala,an unorganised sector so far,have plunged into an agitation that has been gathering support despite the absence of the backing of any political trade union. Inspired by the spate of agitations across the world,nurses at a super-specialty hospital in Kochi,run by spiritual leader Mata Amritanandamayi Devi who is known as the hugging saint,staged a three-day stir last week for better pay and working conditions. The United Nurses Association (UNA),launched on November 16,has set up units at 120 hospitals since,include one last week at the Matas Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences. Its agitation at AIMS has already got the management to agree to study the nurses outstanding issues,including demand for minimum wages,within three months. This has inspired nurses elsewhere,with the UNA going on to serve notices to two Thrissur hospitals run by the powerful Catholic Church. In Thrissur alone,the UNA now has 10,000 nurses under its fold. The agitating nurses did not enjoy the enthusiastic coverage that the Kerala media had given to recent nurses agitations in Delhi and Mumbai. Support,however,poured in from online communities,with networking sites discussing the AIMS agitation. After the launch of the unit,the AIMS management had taken disciplinary action against two office-bearers of the union,dismissing one and transferring the other. The UNA took this up; the agitation began when six office-bearers were assaulted on the campus. We went to meet the HR manager to discuss the disciplinary action taken against two male nurses. The management had been irked by the formation of the unit, said Muhammed Shihab,UNA state vice-president. The assistant HR manager took us to the managers office,outside the hospital building but on the institution compound, Shihab said. He said they were going upstairs to the managers chamber when a group of people attacked them with rods and sticks. One of the office-bearers,Bibu Paulose,suffered a kneecap fracture. Even after the injured were taken to the casualty ward,the attackers remained on the campus. For fear of further attack,the injured were shifted to another hospital. Shihab alleged the attackers were goons engaged by the hospital. How else would they dare attack nurse leaders near the office of the HR manager? We went on strike. Although the management was dead against our demands,they were forced to climb down, said Shihab. AIMS spokesperson K Sasi said the hospital management had no role in the attack. It was true that the union leaders were attacked on the AIMS compound. Let the police probe that. The management has agreed to study the nurses demands within three months, Sasi said. M M Lawrance,CITU state general secretary,said the agitation was a non-political battle for sheer survival. We can definitely say that the recent agitations around the world,including Wall Street,influenced the nurses stir, he said. Without any political support,they have dared to question powerful religious heads,who are strong enough to influence political leaders and even the media. Three decades ago,he said,he had tried to organise nurses in a private hospital in Kochi. That effort was foiled by the management who threatened the nurses at their homes,he alleged. A hospital management can destroy a career by withholding a nurses certificates,he said,alleging this is still being done by many. Nurses are looked down upon by society and managements, a UNA leader said. Nurses are the most exploited professionals; they do not get even minimum wages despite toiling for 12 to 15 hours continuously in wards. Because of a bond we are forced to give free service for a year. Private hospitals in Kerala pay a newly recruited nurse under Rs 3,000 a month,while the government pays Rs 13,000. Many hospitals pay graduate nurses Rs 3,000 to 4,000. After five years,I am getting only Rs 7,000 , said one in Kochi. The state has at least 1.75 lakh nursing staff in the private sector,Kerala Private Hospital Association general secretary V Hussain Koya estimates. Some hospitals have already communicated their reservations about hiking salaries. The association,which has 1000-odd member hospitals,will meet on Wednesday to discuss the UNAs demands,Koya said.
