The union demanded that the national and county governments sign a recognition agreement. The union further wants their union members scheme of service to be finalized within a fortnight/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 11 – The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers has issued a 28-day strike notice, over that the union says is a Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiation stalemate with the government.
Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi, the union’s Secretary General George Kibore said that since they submitted their demands last year, the government has been playing delayed tactics.
Kibore said in most cases the government failed to meet the quorum while on the negotiating table leading to postponement of the meetings.
“The union submitted the draft CBA in November 2017 as agreed upon in last year’s return to work formula. For the past four months the government has always fallen short of quorum during the negotiation meetings. They have further indicated they are not willing to negotiate on the disputed clauses unless the union accepts their position. As a union we view this as a tactic aimed at demoralizing us,” Kibore said.
However, the Secretary General noted the strike notice did not mean an end to the negation process and stated that the union still available for negation within the 28 days to avert industrial action.
Kibore further insisted that their demands were meant to benefit all stakeholders in the medical industry urging the government to prioritize issues that directly affected the citizens.
“What we are demanding for is equipping of facilities in the hospitals and the government to further address the understaffing problem faced in the hospitals. We are also asking for internship payment for our students as provided for in the labour laws.”
“We urge the government to put a key interest in the health sector if we are to achieve Universal Health Care as indicated in the governments Big Four agenda,” he said.
The union demanded that the national and county governments sign a recognition agreement. The union further wants their union members scheme of service to be finalized within a fortnight.
It won’t be the first time for the clinical officers to down their tools with union members having participated in a three week industrial action in September 2017 before agreeing on a return-to-work formula.
The union enjoys a 20,000 union membership countrywide.
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