The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has signed a return to work deal with the County Governments and Ministry of Health bringing the week long strike by nurses to an end.
In what came as a relief to thousands of patients across the country, KNUN directed all nurses to resume work immediately as a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is formulated for the period 2017-2021. The CBA is supposed to be formulated within a period of two months - from January 1, 2017, and not later than March 2, 2017.
While making the announcement to end the strike, KNUN Secretary-General Seth Panyako said, "Talks on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) of 2013 will begin in January. For now, we have reached an agreement with the counties to end the strike."
In the agreement signed by KNUN, the nurses are set to have their allowances increased.
"That the Government of Kenya has agreed to offer to all Nurses Monthly Increase (Nursing Service Allowance) as follows: Job Group (G-L)- Sh20,000 and Job Group (M and above)- Sh 15,000," a statement on the agreement read in part.
The allowances will be paid in two portions in the ratio of 60:40. The first 60-percent will be awarded on January 1 while the second 40-percent will be effective on July 1, 2017.
It was agreed upon that no nurse who had participated in the strike would be victimised or punished.
This comes 10 days after medical practitioners downed their tools demanding the Government to honour a CBA agreement signed in 2013.
The strike by the nearly 5,000 doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists and interns is seeking to push for a review of job groups, promotions, deployment and transfer of medical officers, as well as remuneration.
The nurses will, however, work without doctors who have insisted that their strike is still on as their union is yet to reach an agreement with the Government.
