Mombasa Nurses Union secretary general Peter Maroko addressing journalists in Mombasa. [Photo/ Maxwell Ngala]
Over 700 nurses in Mombasa have vowed not to relent in their quest for better pay.Led by Mombasa Nurses Union secretary general Peter Maroko, the nurses said they will not go back to work until all their demands are met.Addressing journalists at the Kenya Medical Training College in Mombasa on Thursday, the nurses said they were no longer interested in holding dialogue, adding that they will not accept to do charity work.Maroko said the threats being issued by the government will not solve anything as nurses are not to blame for the negative impact the strike is having on medical services in various public hospitals across the country.“We know that the government’s deadline is Friday but one thing they should understand is that we are not going back to work before they address our demands,” said Maroko.He said the health workers will only resume duty once the 2013 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is approved and signed.“We are not fools to believe and work under empty promises. We don’t want any more promises from the government, let it sign the CBA and we will gladly go back to work on Friday,” he added.
This comes after the Council of Governors on September 1 gave nurses seven days to return to work or face the sack.