Nurses’ strike enters 6th day

The ongoing nurses’ strike at the private Batra Hospital in the Capital has entered its sixth day.

On December 11,the nursing staff at the 500-bed hospital went on strike demanding better pay. While an order by the Delhi High Court a few days earlier restrained the staff from holding demonstrations within a 100-metre radius of the building,the strike continued with most of the staff skipping work.

Outlining the main issues of contention,Usha Krishna Kumar,president of the Malayali Nurses’ Welfare Association,said: “Extremely low wages are being paid when compared to other private hospitals,with some nurses being paid as low as Rs 4,500. With the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations,government nurses get upwards of Rs 30,000,” she said.