Embu health workers end strike after 2 months
A sign outside Embu Teaching and Referral Hospital as pictured on July 29, 2020.
What you need to know:
- Joseph Ngwasi, the Embu branch secretary of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) said they resolved to return to work as the government agreed to address their grievances.
- The deputy governor further said the national government promised to release funds on time, which will facilitate implementation of the agreement.
Health workers in Embu returned to work on Thursday, ending a strike that lasted about two months, after singing a deal with the county government.
Joseph Ngwasi, the Embu branch secretary of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) said they resolved to return to work as the government agreed to address their grievances.
"There is no longer a strike since the county has become cooperative," Mr Ngwasi said on Thursday.
Deputy Governor David Kariuki thanked the workers for agreeing to a return-to-work formula.
Mr Kariuki said the deal followed a series of meetings between workers' unions and the devolved government.
"We had several consultative meetings which brought to an end a strike that had paralysed health services in the region," said Mr Kariuki, who is also the acting Health executive.
He promised the county will honour the agreement so that medics work in a conducive environment.
Going forward
The deputy governor further said the national government promised to release funds on time, which will facilitate implementation of the agreement.
He appealed to workers to meet their end of the bargain by serving the people effectively.
“The county government is committed to providing all the necessary support,” he said.
Mr Kariuki further said that to avert crises in future, the department of health will regularly hold consultative meetings with the unions’ officials to address emerging issues before they get out of hand.
He said the department is investigating allegations that some private health facilities took advantage of the strike to exploit needy patients.
The workers downed their tools in a protest against poor working conditions, inadequate personal protective equipment as they fight the Covid-19 pandemic and delayed salaries.
They accused the government of failing to promote them and to remit deductions from their salaries to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and other statutory bodies.
Following their decision to return to work, residents said they were happy as they had been suffering.
