Nakuru County nurses vow to keep off work until government signs CBA
Nurses protest on Kenyatta Avenue, Nakuru County, on July 12, 2017. They have said they will not return to work until the government honours their CBA. PHOTO | JOHN NJOROGE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Nurses have been on strike for 137 days.
- They want their CBA to be implemented.
- They accused the governor of not addressing their grievances as he had promised during his election campaigns.
Nurses in Nakuru have vowed to continue with their strike until the government honours their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The nurses spoke on Wednesday evening after meeting their officials from the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN).
137 DAYS
They said they will not report to work unless a directive is issued by the Knun secretary-general.
Nurses have been on strike for 137 days since June 5, demanding that their CBA be implemented.
KNUN Deputy Secretary-General Maurice Opetu, who spoke to the nurses at Railway grounds, urged them to remain on strike until their grievances are addressed.
“All nurses should remain on strike until the strike is called off from the national level and no one should be cowed,” he said.
The nurses led by Nakuru branch Secretary Syprine Odera said they will not go back to work despite the county government threatening to sack them.
SOLIDARITY
“The visit by the national office leaders was meant to urge us to continue strengthening our strike in solidarity with our colleagues. We have promised our support to the national union leaders,” said Ms Odera.
In September when Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui took over office, he threatened to sack all the striking nurses unless they resumed duty.
He said the situation in public hospitals in Nakuru had been wanting and nurses should heed calls by the Council of Governors to return to work.
Mr Kinyanjui made the announcement after forming a health taskforce to address issues in the county.
PROMISE
The nurses blamed the governor for not honouring his campaign promise to address their grievances.
“During his campaign he promised to stand by us and that he would address our grievances once elected as governor. We are surprised by his recent threats,” said a nurse who sought anonymity.
