TN reconstitutes panel to fix wages for private health sector

CHENNAI: The state government has reconstituted the expert committee to fix minimum rates of wage for the workforce in the private health sector.

The additional commissioner of the Labour Department would head the 17-member expert panel to revisit the wages fixed in 2009 as per the provisions of the Minimum Wages Act 1948 (Central Act XI of 1948). “The committee will look into the minimum wage of all workers in all private hospitals and private medical institutions. The panel has been given six months to fix the wages and give inputs to the government,” said a member of the committee.

The previous government formed the panel to revise the minimum wage. After hearing the demands and pleas of all sections of the workers of the private hospitals and nursing homes, the Labour Commissioner had submitted the report to the government in early 2018. The government has also accepted the report.

However, it did not come into effect after the Indian Medical Association (IMA) Tamil Nadu flagged the issue that the revised rate of wage was steep and appealed to the government to revise it.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Tamil Nadu has 5,000 members.

They have 20 to 30 bedded clinics, said former state president of IMA Dr P Ramakrishnan and member of the experts’ panel, representing the employers. They want the government to revise the rate of wage for the workforce in a phased manner.

Dr Shanthi of the committee said that they would reflect the views and expectations of the workforce and submit the report to the government.