Kwale nurses end strike after county honours deal

More than 450  nurses in Kwale Country have returned to work following the county's decision to honour their return-to-work formula.

Ms Triza Ireri, head of nursing at Tiwi Rural Health Training Centre, said on Tuesday that Governor Salim Mvurya's administration last week honoured the deal in totality.

Speaking to the Nation on phone, Ms Ireri said they and county officials were planning a joint press conference to officially call off their strike.

Last week, the medical workers issued a one-week strike notice for the implementation of a collective bargaining agreement signed on November 2, 2017.

"We were to strike on Monday but after consultations with county government officials, they agreed to honour the return-to-work formula," she said.

SERVICES

Mr Tobias Onyango, Kwale branch secretary of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun), said they were committed to delivering the best services.

"It is a good move ... we are happy that at last the county kept its promise ... we are now working as usually," he said and thanked Mr Mvurya's administration.

The nurses had demanded allowances including the annual Sh5,000 for uniforms and the monthly Sh3,000 for the nursing service.

They had also demanded Sh20,000 as the nursing service allowance, which was to be increased to Sh30,000 over three years from 2017.

The uniform allowance was to increase by Sh10,000 every year until 2021.

Reached by phone, Health executive Francis Gwama said he could not comment on the matter as he was attending a meeting.