The Kenya National Union of Nurses secretary general Seth Panyako has ruled out any call for negotiation with the government.
Addressing the media in Eldoret, Panyako blamed Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani for being reluctant to solve nurses’ grievances despite them tabling a strike notice in November 2018.
Panyako has called upon President Uhuru to fire non-performing Cabinet members including Ukur, saying that he has failed to address their issues.
“The strike has begun, the Labour CS has no mandate to stop workers’ strike,” Panyako said.
“We will not settle for anything less. Nurses want full implementation of the CBA and the 2017 return-to-work formula, not negotiation,” Panyako said.
More than 8,000 nurses are expected to strike, paralysing services in government hospitals that are yet to meet their demands.
His comments come barely an hour after Yatani inaugurated a three-member team to spearhead negotiation with nurses and the Council of Governors.
The team includes Harun Mwaura (chair), Benson Okwaro and Moses Omboko who will work together with labour officials from the ministry.
KNUN was not represented in the inaugural meeting where Ukuru insisted that the strike must be called off to pave way for negotiation.
Patients are expected to feel the pain of the strike as Yatani asked nurses for 31 days to settle their issues.