Nurses defy court order as strike continues

Nurses have defied a court order to end their strike.

The directive was issued Tuesday by the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi.

“We hear there is a court order wanting us to end the strike.

"We have not been served with the papers and we will continue with the strike.

"Upon receiving the order, we will prepare our own legal team to challenge the ruling,” Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) secretary-general Seth Panyako said.

INTIMIDATION
Mr Panyako spoke during a Nursing Governing Council meeting held in Nairobi on Tuesday.

The union officials criticised the government, saying it was using judicial outfits to intimidate nurses.

They accused the government of hiding behind the court to avoid honouring their collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

The union officials said they will not be cowed to call off the strike, which has gone on for 91 days now.

SALARIES
Officials of the National Nurses Association of Kenya and the Kenya Progressive Nursing Association (KPNA) joined their Knun counterparts in the call for the implementation of the CBA.

“The Council of Governors (CoG) leadership should sober up and stop the blame game.

"The Health ministries at the two levels of government should complete what they started with the nurses and proceed to sign the CBA,” KPNA chairman Thaddeus Mayaka said.

BIIY OPPOSED
The court also ordered Knun to reinstate chairman John Biiy in the CBA negotiating team.

The team comprises the nurses, the Health ministry and the CoG.

This is yet another order Knun is not ready to comply with, saying Mr Biiy is not an official of the union and does not have the nurses’ interests at heart.