President Uhuru Kenyatta has given striking nurses ultimatum of until Friday to return to work or otherwise be sacked.
The president who seemed angry while addressing the nation ordered the nurses who are still on strike to report to work by Friday 15, at 8 am.
Striking nurses given until Friday 8am to resume duty or be sacked, President Kenyatta terms ongoing strike unlawful. https://t.co/1CKwYqJZ0U pic.twitter.com/xjiNU24Ae5
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) February 13, 2019
As the Commander in Chief of the Kenya Defense Forces, I have instructed National Police Service to take stern action on picketers who may intimidate public servants who intend to go to work,” he warned.
He further ordered the respective county governments and Ministry of Health that they should sack any nurse who would have not reported to work by the said date and time.
“It is disheartening to learn that some of our nurses have decided to engage in an unlawful withdrawal of their labour to Kenyans against the determination of the Employment and Labour Relations Court which suspended any industrial action for 60 days,” the president said.
He also faulted the leadership of the nurses union for not adhering to the court orders citing that no Kenyan is above the law.
While he acknowledged that every Kenyan have the right to demonstrate, he insists that there is a laid process of determining workers salaries by Salaries and Renumeration Commission (SRC).
The nurses strike has paralyzed the health sector since February 4 and despite a court order terming the strike as illegal, the nurses remained unmoved and has since continued with the strike.
Nurses have been advocating for allowances and promotions as agreed in CBA
