The 113-day-long strike by nurses at Amala Institute of Medical Sciences in Thrissur came to an end on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) following talks mediated by District Labour Officer Jovin M.M., with both the hospital management and the United Nurses Association (UNA).The breakthrough came after discussions convened by the Labour department, ending a prolonged agitation that had disrupted services and drawn attention to the nurses’ demand for higher wages.In a statement, UNA State president Shoby Joseph described the settlement as an amicable resolution.“The Amala strike has been settled amicably following discussions led by the District Labour Officer. The 113-day agitation has come to an end today. Both sides have agreed to restore the cordial atmosphere that existed in the institution earlier,” he said.The union claimed that the settlement also included an assurance of a salary increase ranging from ₹4,000 to ₹6,000 and that any revised minimum wages notified by the government would be extended to the nurses with retrospective effect.However, the hospital management disputed this claim, asserting that the agreement did not involve any fresh decision on salaries.“There has been no new decision regarding the salary structure,” said Fr. Julius Arakkal, Director of Amala Hospital.“Nurses have expressed willingness to join duty accepting the salary increment that has been implemented by the hospital since April 1, 2026,” the hospital maintained.The management reiterated the same position it had taken even earlier during a joint press conference by the Amala and Jubilee Mission hospital authorities after reports emerged that Amala had accepted the nurses’ demand for a pay hike.Fr. Arakkal had then said that the salary increase being cited by the union referred to the increment granted to all employees from April 1, 2026 and had no connection with the ongoing agitation.The management also indicated that it will take a decision later on reinstating nurses who had participated in the strike.Hospital authorities said recruitment had been carried out to fill vacancies created during the agitation, and that the striking nurses could only be accommodated against the remaining vacancies or future openings.“The agitation involved nurses even from emergency departments, including cancer wards. To ensure that essential services were not disrupted, the hospital had to recruit temporary and daily-wage staff,” the management said.Meanwhile, efforts to end the parallel strike at Jubilee Mission Hospital remained inconclusive, with discussions between the management and the nurses continuing.Jubilee Mission Hospital Director Fr. Renny Mundankurian said the agitation represented only the UNA-affiliated nurses and not the entire nursing workforce.“This is only a UNA strike. Around 900 nurses are currently working at Jubilee Mission Hospital, while about 350 nurses are on strike. Recruitment has already been carried out to fill nearly 200 of those vacancies,” he said.It is reported that Amala hospital had recruited more than 200 nurses during the course of the agitation. Published - July 07, 2026 08:40 pm IST