The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Chairman John Bii has today disowned the legitimacy of the ongoing nurses’ strike saying that the strike is not legally protected. This statement comes as the nurses’ strike enters the second day, in various parts of the country.
The strike has paralyzed medical services in key public hospitals in Counties including Nandi, Vihiga among others. Vihiga County branch KNUN Secretary General Caleb Maloba had indicated that the nurses’ Collective Bargaining Agreement had not been upheld, and Vihiga KNUT Chairman Zadok Miheso said the County governments were also responsible, “They (County government) paid nursing allowances for two months and then held the payments. We want the CBA to be observed before we resume duty,” said Miheso. In Nandi, KNUN Nandi branch Secretary General Amos Ng’etich also affirmed that the nurses in the County had gone on strike, citing the Salaries and Remuneration Commission are at fault, “
In a bid to halt the nurses’ strike yesterday, Chairman of the Council of Governors Josephat Nanok said that both parties have been in constant discussion to finalise the nurses’ CBA as agreed last year in a return to work formula but laid the blame squarely on the Salaries and Remuneration Commission for its slow response on approving the CBA.
The nurses have vowed not to return to work unless the CBA is approved and implemented. Mr. Bii has requested all the health workers on strike to resume work.