Blow to government as Clinicians join nurses in strike

Clinical officers during a press briefing on Saturday, February 9, 2019. /RITA DAMARY

Kenya’s health sector is staring a major crisis as clinical officers have threatened to join the striking nurses following collapsed CBA negotiations.

George Gibore, Kenya Union of Clinical Officers secretary general said the talks which commenced in December 2017 later collapsed in April last year.

He said the government has been unwilling to return to the negotiation table despite several interventions.

“Guided by the Labour Relations Act 2017, the union wrote to the Labour CS who appointed a conciliator but the government’s side refused to honour summons leading to failure of conciliation,” Gibore said.

He spoke on Saturday at a hotel in Nakuru.

The Ministry of Health, the Council of Governors and the Labour ministry are the parties to the pay talks.

Gobore said 90 per cent of the issues at hand had been agreed upon by the time the government walked out in April.

He said KUCO sought intervention from the Senate and the National Assembly health committees but the efforts hit a dead end as “the Council of governors refused to cooperate”.

“We have done several petitions to both employers with the latest dated January 28 imploring on the them to reconstitute the negotiations but it’s now clear that they are unwilling,” he said.

“We have exhausted all the alternative dispute resolution mechanisms as provided for in the law and are now left with the single option of a strike.”

Gibore said the decision on when the strike will be called will be made next Saturday after an advisory council meeting.

Clinical officers are demanding risk and call allowances be raised from Sh3,000 and Sh10,000 to Sh30,000 and Sh70,000.

They also want health workers’ allowances increased from Sh20,000 to Sh30,000.

The clinicians are asking the government to employ an additional 4,700 officers and put in place a revamped comprehensive medical cover.

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