Nurses union wants govt to address demands to avert looming strike
What you need to know:
- Knun members will go on strike in next three days if the government does not address pertinent issues within the sector.
- Knun deputy national chairman Joseph Ngwasi said the country's public health sector would be driven to a crisis.
- Tharaka-Nithi County Knun secretary Kenneth Micheni called on the government to remit all deductions from members immediately.
- He warned that in case the government fails to intervene, all the workers in the county will lay down their tools in protest.
A trade union representing health workers has threatened that its members will go on strike in next three days if the government does not address pertinent issues within the sector.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) officials Wednesday said talks with the government had failed to reach any meaningful agreement and they would therefore embark on the boycott and down their tools in all public health facilities until their concerns are addressed.
Speaking in Meru after a consultative meeting with officials from Meru, Tharaka-Nithi, Isiolo and Embu counties, Knun deputy national chairman Joseph Ngwasi said the country's public health sector would be driven to a crisis.
Mr Ngwasi said the union had given the national and county governments ample time to ensure there was harmony in the health sector but efforts to do this had hit a snag.
“We wish to inform members of the public that members of this union will participate in a nationwide strike from November 22, 2014 if no agreement will have been reached with the government by then,” Mr Ngwasi told a press conference.
He said that for a long time, nurses in the country had been undermined adding that county governments should treat matters relating to health workers seriously.
ECONOMIC STIMULUS PROGRAMME
Knun Meru branch chairperson Bakari Mugambi said that nurses currently working under the Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) have offered services to the county without being absorbed into the mainstream civil service.
“There are some counties where ESP health workers have not been made permanent and pensionable at the end of their contracts.
There is also a shortage of nurses in some hospitals across the country,” Mr Mugambi said.
Tharaka-Nithi County Knun secretary Kenneth Micheni called on the government to remit all deductions from members immediately and involve the union in the rationalisation exercise.
Mr Micheni said a majority of the workers had exhausted their savings.
He warned that in case the government fails to intervene, all the workers in the county will lay down their tools in protest.
“We are disadvantaged as we cannot borrow loans from banks.
"To ensure that Kenyans get the very best of health services, then the government should treat our issues with the seriousness it deserves,” said Mr Micheni.
