Resume work or face the sack, Nairobi County doctors warned

Nearly 250 doctors on strike in Nairobi have until the end of Tuesday to resume work or their jobs would be advertised.

Nairobi County Secretary Robert Ayisi said the strike is illegal following a September 16 order by the Employment and Labour Relations Court that nullified the industrial action until September 29.

The doctors are complaining about delayed salaries and promotions and the county's alleged failure to remit statutory deductions such as NHIF and NSSF fees in the past eight months.

Other grievances are that the county did not provide car and mortgage allowances and failed to give doctors appointment letters.

RESPECT DECISION
The doctors, through their union, have said they will “respect the court decision to suspend the strike” but quickly added that they were mobilising their members tomorrow to “inform them of the new developments.”

Ouma Oluga, the union's secretary-general, said: “We received the court order and being law-abiding citizens we will respect the court.

"However, our issues have not been solved and therefore we will meet the doctors tomorrow to discuss the new development and know the way forward.”

In the meantime, Dr Ayisi said the county had received more than 100 applications from people willing to replace the striking doctors, whose industrial action is in its second week.

Doctors on leave have also been asked to resume work.

He said the clock was ticking for the striking doctors.

“If anyone is qualified and interested, they do not have to come to the county offices. Let them go to the hospitals under the county and speak to the medical superintendent or the human resource office,” Dr Ayisi told the Nation at his office.