Labour CS Bore tells striking doctors to give dialogue a chance

Labour CS Florence Bore before the Public Petitions Committee to address the issues of the Government's position on the delays of hiring medical interns on March 20th,2024 [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Labour Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore has appealed to healthcare workers on strike to engage in dialogue to address the ongoing crisis.

Bore, on Friday, April 12, urged doctors to end their strike and participate in negotiations in good faith to seek a resolution.

"The doctors' union must suspend the strike and come to the table to negotiate with the employers, that is, the Ministry of Health and the 47 County Governments. The Union needs to direct its members to get back to work, to pave the way for meaningful negotiations to take place to find a lasting resolution," she said in a statement.

Bore stressed the need for a collaborative approach in the dispute resolution mechanism to restore normalcy in the health sector.

The statement follows a warning by the Kenya Medical Association that private doctors would join the strike in solidarity within the next seven days.

Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga and the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops yesterday also broke their silence, calling on the government to engage in discussions with the doctors to find a lasting solution.

Earlier, Head of Public Service Felix Koskei expressed the government's commitment to resuming negotiations with the striking doctors. He reiterated that negotiations could only occur if the doctors obeyed court orders and suspended the strike.