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Nurses have pulled out of the planned nationwide healthcare workers’s strike expected to begin on Friday.
Nurses, clinical officers, lab technologists, nutritionists and public health officers had issued a 60 days strike notice which is expiring on Thursday at midnight.
But in a last minute turn of events, the Kenya National Union of Nurses SG Seth Panyako has now directed nurses not to take part in the strike.
In a letter seen by the Star addressed to Health and Labour Cabinet Secretaries, Council of Governors chairperson and copied to all KNUN branch secretaries and members, Panyako has instead instructed all nurses to continue with work.
He noted the decision was arrived at after a meeting held with the government.
The withdrawal from the strike is to allow the ongoing negotiations with the government to ensure the CBA is fully concluded.
“Following the National Governing Council meeting held on July 11 where we deliberated among other issues the looming nationwide strike for health workers, we wish to inform our members, public and the two levels of government that KNUN will not participate in the said strike,” Panyako said.
“By a copy of this letter, our members and branch officials are hereby informed. We urge our members to continue offering services to Kenyan citizens until advised otherwise,” he added.
Apart from the nurses, the other workers have threatened to down tools from Thursday midnight should their grievances remain unresolved.
They had on May 15 issued a 60 days strike notice to the ministry and county governments regarding unconcluded CBAs and recognition agreements.
On Tuesday, the unions called on the Ministry of Health and the counties to utilise the remaining window to initiate talks and avert any possible strike.
“We are ready for talks if they will take the remaining time to go to the negotiating table if not we have decided that we will go on strike on Friday,” Kenya Union of Clinical Officers SG George Gibore said.
This means should the stalemate remain unresolved, Kenyans might from Friday be forced to seek medical care from private health facilities should the unions keep their threat to down their tools from Thursday midnight. BY THE STAR