Doctors, govt granted three days to seal deal, end three month-long strike

The Court of Appeal has granted parties in the doctors’ mediation process three more days to iron out the remaining issues among them the return-to-work-formula.

“We grant further mention to complete outstanding CBA and matter to be mentioned on March 13 to record consent,” Justice Martha Koome ruled.

The bench also asked the religious leaders to walk with the doctors until a solution is found.

Lawyer Phillip Murgor, representing the doctors, submitted that there is a process to be followed adding that the involvement of the Head of State has played a key part and there has been some adjustments on the part of the government.

“What remains is for the parties to agree on the documents then the revised and amended the contentious CBA 2013 and return-to-wok-formula be agreed,” Murgor submitted.

The court heard that the terms of return-to-work-formula are still under discussion.

According to Murgor, doctors maintain that the recognition agreement must be executed first so as to end the ongoing strike.

He further submitted that the doctors are ready to execute the agreement immediately when the government and the Council of Governors execute the documents.

However, Ministry of Health lawyer, Waigi Kamau, said that what should come first is the Recognition Agreement, then the return-to-work-formula before going to the 2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“We are committed to sitting down with them (doctors) and have the CBA signed,” the Ministry of Health lawyer said.

Council of Governors lawyer, Eunice Lumala, submitted that a lot has been covered saying that government has been made to negotiate under duress.

“Let the doctors resume work forthwith, then we sign a Recognition Agreement in five days then a CBA in maybe 10 days,” said Lumala.