Judge orders Nyeri doctors to resume work
The Employment and Labour Relations court has ordered striking Nyeri doctors to resume duty immediately.
Justice Byram Ongaya on Tuesday ordered that “pending hearing and determination of the case, the doctors to resume duties forthwith,”
The county government through lawyer Patrick Ngunjiri moved to court on Tuesday under certificate of urgency to compel the health workers resume work.
It sued the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentist Union (national office and the central region branch) for the job boycott.
ALIGN PROCESSES
Mr Ngunjiri told the court that the doctors and pharmacist went on strike on September 16, citing failure by the county government to address their grievances.
Despite agreeing on a return-to-work formula , he said, the medical staff refused to resume duty.
"The county government was to release the approved doctors for postgraduate studies, replace with immediate effect doctors who had rejected their postings in the county, fast-track the promotion of consultants and to liaise with the intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee to align the process of new posting of doctors,” he said.
7-DAY NOTICE
However, the doctors again in October 10 issued a seven-day strike notice citing similar issues, Mr Ngunjiri said.
The doctors effected the strike on October 20 and they have not been working since.
According to the county government, the strike has paralysed service delivery in the county, mainly at the Nyeri County and Referral Hospital and the Karatina Level Four Hospital.
He said the strike has also resulted in several deaths as only consultants, interns, nurses and other officers are attending to patients. \
The case will be heard on November 3,2016
