Doctors’ union calls off looming strike
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union Lower Eastern Branch has advised doctors against a strike that was scheduled to kick off next week.
This is after the Union was informed that the Medical Practitioners in the said counties had received their pending pay and also been issued with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
SALARY DELAYS
In a statement issued on Saturday, KMPDU asked the health workers to go on serving the country especially during this time when there is a Coronavirus pandemic.
“We refer to our earlier advisory from the KMPDU Lower Eastern Branch dated, 16 April 202, with regards to salary delays and the availability of adequate PPEs. These issues had required immediate intervention,” the statement signed by Dr Okumu Charles read in part.
Dr Okumu, who is the Union’s secretary, further said that they engaged with the employer amicably and unpaid salaries were immediately settled.
“We have received information that salaries were banked on Friday the 17th of April 2020, at around 4pm. This ensures that the challenges of meeting daily needs have now been taken into consideration,” he said.
PROTECTIVE GEARS
Dr Okumu further revealed that all the PPEs had been delivered and that the counties were in the process of distributing them.
He said that KMPDU is in good terms with the County of Machakos especially after the latter agreed to respect a functional CBA implementation that was suggested by doctors years back.
He further asked the doctors to ensure that they go ahead with offering services to members of the public and that there was need for them to protect themselves with protective gears.
Dr Okumu also said that the union is open to any concerns that the doctors will raise until a solution is found.