Soften your stand or lose the bargain Senators to doctors

Soften your stand or lose the bargain  Senators to doctors

The Senate Health Committee on Tuesday appealed to the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) officials to soften their stand on the implementation of the 2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement saying they risk losing in the talks with the government.

Committee chair, Senator Wilfred Machage, told doctors that their CBA is not legally binding since it was dubiously signed by former Public Health Principal Secretary, Mark Bor, two days after he had been demoted.

The doctors, who were appearing before the committee, accused the government of, among other things, presenting the CBA to Salaries and Remunerations Commission (SRC) late.

The KMPDU officials led by Secretary General, Dr Ouma Oluga, urged the Senators in the committee to intervene to end the stalemate between doctors and the government and end the 65-day-strike.

The doctors accused the government of manipulation, arm twisting and intimidation.

“We feel frustrated. The Ministry is not solving the problem we presented to them in the first place, it is being dishonest. Help us get a clear way on how the CBA will be implemented,” said Daisy Korir, the KMPDU Treasurer.

“As a union, we do not take this as fun. We know Kenyans are suffering,” said ChibanziMwachonda, Deputy Secretary General, KMPDU.

The doctors agreed to a compromise but insisted that it had to come from both sides.

“We do not want to go back to the system that leads to death. We are willing to compromise and the government must compromise as well. You do not expect doctors to accept the same offer that has been there for two months,” said Oluga.

According to the doctors, the talks would be counter-productive if the government did not listen and the country ends up losing 50-60% of the doctors, something the officials say were not willing to risk the country for.

“It is going to be a tragedy if we do not listen to doctors only to realize we are left with no doctor. It makes no sense to train doctors and then they leave to other countries,” added Oluga.

The talks come after the court directed the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and other parties to lead talks with a view of ending the doctors’ strike.

Justice Hellen Wasilwa of the Labor Relations and Employment Court also asked the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Labor, Salaries and Remuneration Commission, Federation of Kenya Employers, Council of Governors, KMPDU and the Attorney General to be part of the talks.

The parties were on Tuesday, February 3 given seven days to reach a deal with COTU Secretary General, Francis Atwoli, expected to chair the meeting.

The case will be mentioned on February 13.

Tags:

Doctors KNCHR CBA COTU KMPDU doctors strike Senator Wilfred Machage compromise Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union

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