Fate of the s**k to worsen as nurses threaten to strike
Nurses may join doctors in a nationwide strike this week, if ultimatums they have spelt out are not addressed in seven days.
Yesterday, it appeared more misery is awaiting Kenyans seeking health interventions across the country if the nurses also down tools. Yesterday, they threatened to go on strike accusing the government of refusing to honour court orders.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) issued a one-week ultimatum to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (UHC) and the Public Service Commission over the extension of UHC staff contracts for two years under controversial terms, which previously brought the nurses into collision with the authorities.
This is even as the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentists Union (KMPDU) is prepare to go to court this morning, in a bid to set the record straight on Friday night’s aborted Whole-of-Nation-Approach meeting at Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
“The government agreed with us that all the UHC staff will put on permanent and pensionable contracts, but if it’s changing goal posts, we have no option to go on strike,” KNUN Secretary General, Seth Panyako (pictured) said accusing Public Service Cabinet Secretary, Moses Kuria and Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei of belligerence, and painting the government in bad light.
This is in the way they have handled the labour issues in the health sector.
“The President should not let his juniors consistently paint his administration as a lying government,” he said and announced that the Union will convene its National Governing Council (NGC) this week to announce the next cause of action.
According to Panyako, the union will join doctors in a strike if the CBA is not implemented.
Panyako stated that the government had also been changing its tune on employee engagements without informing the nurse leaders, a move they are condemning.
“We have been forced to relay the changes in our members’ salaries painting us dishonest officials. We are not, and we won’t allow this to happen,” he said.
