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By Rawlings Otieno
Nairobi, Kenya: Striking nurses have accused the Government of intimidation, forcible transfer and withholding their salaries for the last three months, against a court order.
The nurses said the Government had refused to heed a court directive, which ordered that they return to work pending negotiations on their clamour for a union.
The nurses’ union secretary general Seth Panyako said nurses had returned to work as ordered but were locked out by the management of the facilities they work in.
“We went back to work as had been directed but the nurses were blocked from entering the health facilities. It is the Government that is on strike and should be liable for lack of services in hospitals,” Panyako told the Press during their peaceful demonstration at Uhuru Park.
He accused some officials in the Ministry of Health and Medical Services of being high-handed and a stumbling block to reforms in the health sector.
The nurses have been pushing for the registration of Kenya National Union of Nurses and permanent employment for contracted nurses but the Government has refused to budge.
Panyako said the Ministry of Medical Services had written to nurses to show cause why they absconded duty contrary to the tenets of the court order issued by Lady Justice Maureen Onyango.
“The court had ordered that the ministry should engage the union officials for a return to work formula. This has not happened and instead the nurses have been sacked before negotiations can begin,” added Panyako.
Hostile environment
He said although nurses were ready to work as ordered, the environment for work has been made hostile and now wants the Government to lift the ban and allow nurses to continue working as other negotiations get underway.
They challenged the Public Service Commission to show cause why the Head of Nurses Charles Rakuom should continue being part of the negotiation committee yet he has been accused of being a stumbling block in the nurses’ union registration.
The industrial court had declared the strike by nurses illegal and ordered them to resume work immediately while the court deals with their petition.
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