DEAL! Nurses to resume duty after ten-day strike

It is a relief for patients across the country after nurses called off a nine-day strike after reaching a deal with the government.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) through it Secretary General, Seth Panyako, called off the strike on Wednesday, December 13 after a meeting held at Delta House, Nairobi with officials from the Council of Governors and the Ministry of Health.

While addressing the press after a meeting with the nurses, Council of Governors chair, Peter Munya, said that the county governments will sign the recognition agreement thus meeting the top most demand made by the nurses’ union.

Calling off the strike, Panyako said: “We are very happy that what we have reached an agreement and what we have not discussed will be handled in the CBA talks beginning January 2016. From now the nurses should begin going to their places of work. The strike is off.”

Health Cabinet Secretary, Cleopa Mailu, said the demands in the signed document will be adhered to noting that issues affecting nurses are very key to improvement of healthcare services in the country.

“I am urging the doctors to come back to the negotiating  table,  Kenyans are suffering and they are in pain. Instead of escalating the strike we will negotiate to ensure they serve Kenyans.  We are open to negotiations,” urged Mailu.

The Council of Governors Health Committee chairman, James Ongwae, expressed optimism come 2017 when the CBA talks kick off.

“The agreement will strengthen the relationship. Mr. Panyako I believe we are going to have a good and humble negotiation come next year,” said Ongwae

While quoting the treacherous three-year journey, KNUN chair, John Bii, expressed relief affirming that the amendments the governing council had have been adopted.

“We have no reason to engage in war. What we signed today is all 47 counties. I promise my members that the differences we had before is all under one and we are one,” said Bii.

The strike which entered its 10th day today (Wednesday, December 14) has been viewed as the worst in the country’s history as it involved both the nurses and doctors.

Talks between the unions and the government collapsed more than thrice with the government at some point being forced to deploy the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) doctors to Kenyatta National Hospital to attend to emergency services.

Among the Union’s demands included the recognition demands by the nurses be signed by all the 47 county governments before any deal is reached and demands made by striking nurses must be met before they can return to work.

The union further demanded that their pay be harmonized and backdated to January 1, 2014.

The nurses further demanded that any other offers given to other public servants must apply to them too.

“If the government gives the doctors their demand for 300% increase, that has to be implemented in all job groups including the nurses. Not playing the same game they did in 2013 where they gave doctors 300% and then gave the nurses 25-40%,” said the seemingly angry Panyako in an earlier briefing.

The union also demanded that the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed with government in 2013 be implemented.