Nurses in Tharaka Nithi suspend strike

Tharaka Nithi will not be affected by the planned Nurses's strike after their employer agreed to pay uniform and nursing service allowances.

The nurses in about 24 counties have threatened to strike over failure by several county governments to implement a return-to-work deal agreed on two years ago.

In an agreement jointly signed by Nyamu Kagwima (Deputy Governor), Peter Kimathi (Health Chief Officer) and the Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) Mr Fabiano Marigu, the county government agreed to pay the allowances by the end of February 2019 including accrued arrears.

The Deputy Governor said that the county government will ensure that all the necessary approvals of the allowances will be sought from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), National Treasury and other relevant institutions for clearance.

Part of the agreement document read: “Kenya National Union of Nurses suspends the strike to give county government time for administrative adjustment."

The parties agreed to embrace dialogue as a way of resolving conflict whenever they arise.

In 2017, nurses did not work for five months because of the non-payment of allowances.

They returned to work after the government and the Council of Governors signed a deal with their union - the three parties agreed to have the nurses’ uniform and the risk allowances paid in the next financial year.

It was agreed that the over 20,000 nurses would receive an initial uniform allowance of Sh15,000, which would be increased by Sh5,000 each financial year. This allowance was increased from the Sh10,000 they had been receiving.