Government promises legislation to help nurses

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Government is keen to bring in a piece of legislation very soon to deal with various issues related to nurses and paramedical staff of private hospitals in the state, Labour Minister Shibu Baby John told the Assembly on Thursday. Replying during the Question Hour, the Minister said there are a lot of limitations for the government as there is an existing stay of the High Court against initiating prosecution proceedings against non-payment of  minimum wages.  “But there is a bar only to initiate prosecution proceedings. Claim petitions can be filed by the government against the managements on behalf of the employees demanding minimum wages for a retrospective period of  six months. Employees themselves can file petitions for periods beyond it, if they have not received minimum wages,’’ he said. Efforts are being made to get the stay vacated at the earliest. “Anyway, all lingering issues related to the sector will be addressed through a proper legislation shortly, once the Dr Balaraman Committee constituted to go into it files its report,’’ he said. The minister said the minimum wages are bound to be revised on June 12 this year. The entire House voiced its concern at the ill-treatment meted out to nurses and lower rung non-nursing staff in private hospitals across the state. Members pointed out that only paltry wages were being paid to all those other than doctors even in established hospitals. No mechanism is there to regulate or monitor the qualifications of such staff, members opined.“It is pathetic that even experienced nurses are drawing salaries far below the payment made under the Rural Employment Generation Programme,’’ K Achuthan said, welcoming the moves of the Labour Dept. Congress members Benny Behanan, P C Vishnunath and Hybi Eden also called for a system to check the anomalies and discrimination in the field. “Somehow, the state which is in the forefront of many good things has failed to check the injustice in the sector. The government is making all efforts to ensure minimum wages and then make a progression to fair wages soon,’’ the minister said.