Nurses end 10-day industrial action

Nairobi: Services in public health facilities across the country are expected to return to relative normalcy after nurses resolved to end their strike.

Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) Wednesday suspended its ten day strike following a truce reached with the national and county governments.

But this was after the county governments led by Council of Governors Chair Peter Munya agreed to sign the recognition agreement after a five-hour stalemate that saw nurses walk out of the signing ceremony held at CoG headquarters.

It took the presence of the Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu for the signing of the agreement to be effected.

KNUN General Secretary Seth Panyako had stormed out of the meeting arguing that governors were forcing them to call off the strike before the recognition agreement was signed.

In the new deal, Mailu was forced to amend some clauses to an earlier Sh7 billion duty resumption agreement rejected by the nurses.

However, in the new agreement signed Wednesday, the monetary benefit of a 'nursing service allowance' of Sh20,000 for nurses in job group G to L and Sh15,000 for M and above has been maintained.

Only that this time, it is not quantum (subject to the services delivered) but an allowance that will be part and parcel of their salaries.

But this will be effected in two phases of 60 and 40 per cent. This means that those in job group G to L will be paid first tranche of Sh12,000 on January 1 and the remaining Sh8000 on July 1.

Those in job group M and above will receive Sh9,000 in January and Sh6 000 in July.

The parties also agreed to shelve the discussion on Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that sought to harmonise salaries of nurses working both in county and national government.

"The parties have agreed to formulate a CBA for the period 2017-2021 within two months effective January 1, 2017 but in any case not later than March 2, 2017," read the agreement also signed by CoG Human Resource Chair James Ongwae his health counterpart Jack Ranguma and KNUN Chair John Bii.

Health CS Mailu hinted that the new CBA to be discussed from January will be 'like that one of teachers' and that the sector will not see any salary related strike in four years.

KNUN GS Panyako said the CBA will take effect from July 2017.

"We shall adhere ourselves to the set timelines, operate within the law and in the spirit of humanity as when patients are admitted they remain with nurses and it pains to see them on strike," said Mailu.

He added: "I want to urge the doctors to come back to the negotiating table. Kenyans are suffering. Even if we get what we want, many Kenyans would have lost their lives."

Panyako described the signing of the recognition agreement as a rebirth for the union insisting that all the 'small' issues raised have been handled.

"We knew we cannot negotiate with the employers (counties) without this agreement. We now have legal mandate to engage counties in issues of remuneration," he said.

Panyako added: "Therefore there is no reason to keep nurses out of their workplace. I therefore suspend the strike and direct all nurses to return to work," said Panyako.

COG Chair Munya asked the doctors to drop their hard lines and follow suit in calling off their strike.

"I want them to obey the court order and call off the strike since the court declared it illegal. Counties are free to take any action on them but we do not want to go that way," said Munya.