Meru nurses barred from work after strike, union says
Meru Knun Branch Chairman Bakari Mugambi addressing nurses during a past strike in 2017. He has accused the Meru County government of paralysing health services by blocking health workers from resuming duty following a month-long strike.
Nurses’ union officials in Meru have accused the county government of paralysing health services by blocking the health workers from resuming duty following a month-long strike.
The nurses joined the nationwide strike in December last year, citing unsafe working conditions, salary delays and lack of promotions before they were ordered by a court to resume duty on January 29.
However, on returning to work in January, the nurses were denied access to health facilities where they work, with the County Public Service Board advertising for recruitment of new workers.
The process was, however, suspended by the Employment and Labour Court in Nyeri.
Maternity, surgical and medical wards in all major hospitals were closed after the nurses were barred from work, said Mr Mugambi Bakari, the chairman of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) Meru branch.
Affected hospitals
Among the hospitals where inpatient services are affected are Kanyakine, Mikumbune, Githongo, Miathene, Muthara, Nyambene and Mutuati Level four hospitals as well as the Meru Level Five hospital.
“We want to let the public know that since January 29, we have been denied access to the hospitals, despite us obeying a court order requiring us to resume duty. It is unfortunate that the county government has shut down inpatient services to punish workers. If we went back to work, who is on strike?” asked Mr Bakari.
The union’s Meru secretary-general Nesbitt Mugendi said the wards were closed through a ''secret order'' from the executive.
“If a court of law has ordered us to go back to work, who is this barring us from working?” he asked.
‘Peddling propaganda’
However, Meru Health Executive Misheck Mutuma accused the union officials of peddling propaganda.
“There are nurses at work but I do not want to say more because the matter is in court,” Mr Mutuma said.
Mr Mugendi said the courts had directed the two parties to enter an agreement on the grievances, but the executive had sabotaged the process.
The nurses have not had their statutory deductions remitted since October last year, leaving many of them without access to the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) services.
