By Mwenda Njeru
The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) yesterday called off a three-month nationwide strike after brokering a deal with the Council of Governors (CoG).
In a joint press briefing in Nairobi, CoG Health Committee Chairperson, Governor Muthomi Njuki and KUCO Secretary General George Gibore said they had signed a return to work formula that also directs the members to immediately return to work.
The strike began on April 1, after a seven-day strike notice, which was issued on March 25, which the health workers insisted that it would go on until their demands were fully met.
“We are officially declaring that our strike has come to an end and our members shall resume duty today and not later than 24 hours,” said Mr Gibore.
Njuki who is also the Tharaka Nithi Governor lauded the clinicians for agreeing to end the strike and for signing the return to work formula.
“This is a welcome step towards the government’s march into Universal Health Coverage and the rollout of Social Health Insurance,” said Governor Njuki.
The Chairperson called upon the clinicians to immediately report to their workstations as agreed in the return to work formula so that they can continue to serve Kenyans as they also endeavor to meet the agreements.
“We call upon them to expeditiously resume serving the people at our health facilities so that to enhance service delivery,” he said.
The clinicians had outlined 10 issues that they were demanding addressed and by the end of the strike only that on career progression had been agreed upon.
On May 9, the Employment and Labour Relations Court ordered the employers to enter into a return-to-work agreement with the clinicians and register the same in court on June 25.
The government had upheld that it lacks the resources to implement some of their demands such as promotions and employment of more healthcare workers before they returned to work.
The clinicians were also demanding the two levels of government issue confirmation letters on permanent and pensionable terms to Universal Healthcare (UHC) staff hired to help battle the COVID-19 pandemic.
The KUCO was also demanding a total of 20,000 unemployed clinical officers employed on permanent and pensionable terms to cover the existing shortage.
The other demand was that the government provides comprehensive medical cover for all clinicians working in the public sector.