Nurses demonstrating on June 5, 2017. [Photo/nation.co.ke]
Governors are calling on nurses to resume duty, saying negotiations that began in December are still on course.
Council of Governors Chairman Josphat Nanok noted that the negotiating parties between the nurses union and the joint national and county governments already have a draft CBA ready which has already been forwarded to the SRC for guidance.
The draft CBA according to the COG proposes an upward of 40 billion shillings over and above what was approved in the return to work fomula.
Nanok talked as Services in public hospitals across the country remained paralyzed as the nationwide nurses strike kicked off.
Nurses have gone on strike to push for the signing and registration of their collective bargaining agreement. The Nurses union is expected to make a statement on the same on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Services at the Kisii Teaching and Referral hospital were paralyzed as nurses joined their colleagues in a nationwide strike.
Patients were seen stranded at the hospital as the two week notice ended marking the beginning of the strike over National and County government’s failure to honour a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiated between January and March this year.
Addressing the press in Kisii town during their protest march, the Kenya National Union of Nurses Chairperson, Kisii branch, Fredrick Oigo, said the strike would continue until their grievances are fully addressed.
He said nurses have agreed that all matters in the CBA including appointment of more staff, improved allowances, salary increment and promotions must be implemented in full before the strike is called off.
Kisii branch Secretary General, Moses Riang’a, said they will not give in to intimidation and manipulation.
The nurses called upon the council of governors to act swiftly before the matter gets worse saying patients depending on their services will be the most affected.
And it was pain and agony for patients who turned up to receive treatment in hospitals.
A spot check in many hospitals in the countries established that many nurses decided to stay away from work, however for those who showed no patient was attended to.
In Baringo county Patients lined up to be treated no nurse attended to them.
The same situation was replicated in Migori where the county level four hospital management decided to suspend the admission of new patients.
This according to a source from the hospital was due to a possibility of the strike dragging on for longer period.