Striking Meru health workers dismiss sacking as mere threat

Health workers at Meru Level V Hospital at the start of their strike on October 5, 2016. They have dismissed an announcement by the county government that they had been sacked. FILE PHOTO | PHOEBE OKALL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The health workers also said the sacking was unlawful.
  • Knun Meru branch chairman Mugambi Bakari insisted the strike was still on.
  • He said it will only be called off after the county government fulfils all their demands.
  • However, Health chief officer James Gitonga said they had stopped the workers' October salaries.

Striking Meru health workers have dismissed an announcement by the county government that they had been sacked for disobeying notice to return to work.

The workers termed the decision announced on Tuesday as a “mere threat” as they are yet to receive the dismissal letters.

The sacking, they added, was also unlawful.

Speaking to the Nation by phone, the Kenya Nation Union of Nurses (Knun) Meru branch chairman Mugambi Bakari said, “The county health officials know the right procedure to be followed when sacking employees.

““We were not employed through the media and if the officials think they will sack us via the media they are daydreaming,” said Mr Mugambi.

He added that the workers will consult their lawyer on the way forward after getting dismissal letters.

“We cannot be bothered with mere verbal threats because no one was employed verbally,” he said.

He insisted the strike was still on and will only be called off after the county government fulfils all their demands.

However, Health chief officer James Gitonga said the first step of sending the workers home had been initiated by stopping their October salaries.

“We will start by stopping their salaries. We have also asked the county public service board to intervene,” he said.

Mr Gitonga said the move to stop the striking workers' salaries was reached after they failed to resume duty despite the county government addressing all their grievances regarding promotions.