Narok nurses call off strike after talks bear fruit
Narok County Governor Samuel Tunai visits patients at the county's referral hospital on February 22, 2019. Nurses in the country have called off their strike. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Narok nurses have bowed to government pressure and called off their one-week strike.
This comes a day after Governor Samuel Tunai threatened to sack them.
In a press statement Saturday, Kenya National Union of Nurses officials Elkana Misonge (secretary-general), Henry Onyancha (chairman) and Simon Maika (organising secretary) announced the decision after ‘fruitful’ talks with Health executive Vivian Mpeti.
He said: “Among the demands we had was the return-to-work formula, shortage of nurses, lack of drugs but most of these issue are being handled by the county government. We are now asking our members to resume their job and serve Kenyans”.
THREATS
The nurses denied the claims that threats of sacking by the governor prompted them to call off the strike saying they were not victimised.
The governor accused nurses of blackmail saying the already earn hefty salaries as compared to other professionals in civil service.
While welcoming the move by the nurses to call off the strike the Health CEC said the county government has spared the nurses of sacking since they have chosen to go back to work.
“I could like to thank our nurses’ branch union officials for deciding to heed to the government’s call to have them back to their jobs. As a county we have seen it fit to give them (nurses) and we are now appealing to county residents to seek services at our facilities,” said Ms Mpeti.
