[Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) secretary general Seth Panyako and chairman John Bii. Photo/the-star.co.ke] The Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) has warned nurses against downing tools.
This follows a strike notice issued by the secretary general, Seth Panyako.
He announced that nurses would down their tools starting March 13, 2017, if a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) being negotiated between the nurses, County and National government, would not be agreed upon.
Addressing the press in Eldoret, Knun chairman John Bii said this was not the right time to picket since politics and genuine pronouncements could not be differentiated.
He said members should draw a line between political statements meant to build political profiles of some of the union top officials who have declared interest in political seats, and those meant to address their interests.
Panyako is running for a political seat in the upcoming general elections.
“We have not sat as a national executive of the union to come up with such an agreement. Threatening to call nurses to strike will jeopardize the ongoing CBA negotiations,” he said.
According to Bii, the Council of Governors and the national government had shown good will to finalise the CBA.