Nurses reject Sh7b deal, declare strike still on

Chaos rocked the nurses' union's top decision-making organ as the Sh7 billion deal signed by the Government was dramatically rejected.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses National Governing Council (NGC) yesterday rejected the disputed return-to-work formula that aimed to break the nationwide strike.

The 'duty resumption agreement' was signed by some of the union officials led by Deputy Secretary General Maurice Opetu.

The NGC meeting presided over by union Secretary General Seth Panyako termed the agreement a "raw deal" as national chairman John Bii reportedly stormed out of the heated meeting.

Sources at the meeting told The Standard that NGC members blamed the chairman for settling for less and signing a weak deal.

"He was unable to explain why he signed the deal in the absence of the secretary general and without consent from the NGC," said an official who attended the meeting.

The Standard also established that branch officials from across the country took turns to fire shots at the union's chairman and Mr Opetu.

Questions were also raised about the validity of the duty resumption agreement as it bears no date to show when it was officiated.

"We cannot resort to mob lynching and discussion of characters. We had an agreement that one of us was not okay with the deal, which does not stop us from making it official," Opetu was heard defending himself.

NEW CONDITIONS

After about five hours of meeting, Panyako led about 100 officials in declaring that the strike was still on and issued new conditions for it to be suspended.

This dashes any hopes Kenyans had of normal health services resuming in hospitals.

Among the conditions issued was a revision of the signed deal and signing of a recognition agreement.

The union also demanded that court cases filed by the Council of Governors against their strike must be withdrawn "in totality".

Away from the Sh20,000 nursing allowance that was offered by the Government for job groups G to L and Sh15,000 for job groups M and above, the nurses have now demanded Sh20,000 across all job groups.

Earlier, the union led by Bii had agreed to have the over 29,000 nurses get the allowances in bits of 60 and 40 per cent.

This was to begin in January 2017 when they will be paid the first 60 per cent, and the rest in July of the same year.

"A new agreement must be entered under the stewardship of the union's general secretary. That the GS is the official spokesperson of the union according to the law," read the NGC's resolution read by Panyako.

On Sunday, Panyako disregarded the signed agreement, saying the union officials who assented to it were compromised and had no power under labour laws to enter into any agreement.

According to the labour laws, only a union's NGC has the power to issue a strike notice and call it off.