Mombasa nurses return to work after court order

MOMBASA: The five-day strike that had paralysed operations at the Coast General Hospital came to an end on Monday evening following a court order compelling the nurses to return to work and negotiate with the county government on their grievances.

The county government had moved to court to have the strike declared illegal.

The over 1,600 nurses were back to work Tuesday after their union, Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun), signed a return to work formula with the county government.

In the agreement, the parties agreed that no worker will be victimised for participating in the strike that paralysed operations at all public hospitals under the county government.

Speaking to The Standard after the court order was issued, Knun branch secretary, Peter Maroko, said they had agreed to go back to work on condition that the county government would meet their demands by May 2.

"We urge all our members to return to work by or before 7.30am tomorrow. But we'll go back to court if the county government will not have met our demands by May 2," said Mr Maroko.

Knun National Secretary General Seth Panyako announced the end of the strike saying nurses were law abiding citizens who could not go against the court order.

He, however, warned that they will return to court if the county government fails to meets the demands discussed in the signed deal.

The nurses demanded that the uniform allowance, NHIF and NSSF deductions and deductions of new union members be remitted almost immediately.