Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 29 (NationPress) The government of Kerala is set to unveil a draft notification aimed at updating the minimum wages for employees in the private hospital industry within the next month, announced State Labour and Education Minister V. Sivankutty on Monday. This initiative represents a significant step towards ensuring wage security for countless healthcare professionals throughout the state.

During a review meeting addressing this issue, the Minister instructed Labour Department officials to finalize the necessary procedures for the issuance of the draft notification in accordance with the Minimum Wages Act, 1948.

The revision is designed to protect the interests of approximately 1.13 lakh employees working in about 2,200 private hospitals across Kerala.

Sivankutty emphasized that this initiative has become essential, as many private hospitals are still adhering to the wage rates established by the 2013 minimum wage notification, following the Kerala High Court's annulment of the 2018 notification.

The persistence of these outdated wage levels has negatively impacted the livelihood of healthcare workers, especially amidst rising living costs.

To tackle this situation, a Minimum Wages Committee, led by the Labour Commissioner, conducted several discussions from December 2023 to May 2025.

Despite these efforts, the Minister stated that no agreement could be reached due to what the government characterizes as the uncooperative attitude of private hospital management representatives.

While management representatives suggested only a minimal increase from the 2013 wage rates, the Labour Department proposed a 60 percent increase based on the same notification.

This proposal received support from trade unions but was turned down by management.

Sivankutty noted that even a gathering of the Industrial Relations Committee held on December 27, 2025, under his leadership, failed to yield any result as management representatives were absent.

The government firmly believes that the wage structure proposed by hospital managements is insufficient to meet the fundamental living needs of workers and their families in the current economic context.

“Given these circumstances, the government has opted to act under Section 5(1)(b) of the Minimum Wages Act, 1948,” Sivankutty stated, adding that the department secretary has been instructed to publish the draft notification in the official gazette within a month.

The Minister reiterated the government's commitment to ensuring fair, periodic, and sustainable wages for workers and will take all necessary actions to protect the rights of employees in the private healthcare sector.