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Roundup: Kenyan court declares ongoing medics' strike illegal as crisis lingers

Xinhua, December 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

Kenya's Labour Court on Tuesday declared the ongoing strike by doctors and nurses over pay, which has paralyzed health services across the country, illegal and ordered them to resume work immediately.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court Judge, Hellen Wasilwa, directed the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) and the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) top officials to exercise their influence to order their members to report to work.

The ruling came as private health providers were expected to join the countrywide strike, which would deepen the crisis in the health sector.

They had threatened to boycott work in solidarity with their public counterparts to force the government to listen to the medics' demands.

The Labour Court said the strike, which begun on Dec. 6, had led to the deaths of about 20 patients.

However, officials from the two unions said they will not relent in their quest to have a 2013 agreement over a 300 percent pay rise signed with the government implemented.

The unions are also asking a review of working conditions, job structures, criteria for promotions, and under-staffing of medical professionals in state hospitals.

"We are sorry for Kenyans who end up suffering but this will not be resolved in any other way," KMPDU chairman Samuel Oroko said.

On Sunday, a faction of the nurses' union signed a 700 million U.S. dollar agreement with Health Minister Cleopa Mailu and the health chairman of the Council of Governors, James Ongwae.

The health ministry and KNUN officials said the signed agreement will be harmonized with a collective bargaining agreement which they expect to be registered in court.

Under the agreement, nurses in Job Group G-L will receive a top up of 200 U.S. dollars and those in Job Group M and above will get 150 dollars from January 2017.

The payment will be administered in two phases in the proportion of 60 percent and 40 percent in the months of January 2017 and July 2017 respectively.

However, KNUN Secretary General Seth Panyako denounced the announcement to end the nurses' strike signed by his deputy and his chairman, urging nurses to stay away from work. Endit