Nairobi nurses issue 14-day strike notice
Nairobians should brace for tough times in a fortnight when nurses in the county down their tools on January 20.
The Kenya National Union on Nurses Nairobi branch officials said they have postponed the strike to give Nairobi County Public Service Board time to meet since the board members are currently on leave.
They have, however, said failure by the county to solve their grievances within 14 days would compel them to go on strike.
“We issued a strike notice on December 15 last year to the CEO County Public Service Board, but they informed us majority of board members were on holiday and would convene on January. We want them to convene and address the matters raised in the strike notice, ” Eunice Ngare the deputy secretary general of KNUN Nairobi branch told a press conference held in Nairobi on Tuesday.
STAFF SHORTAGE
The unionists who insisted that Nairobi’s challenges were unique in comparison to other parts of the country also want the Public Service Commission of Nairobi to solve shortage of staff in Pumwani Hospital, Mbagathi Hospital and Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital.
The union also wants immediate payment of withheld salaries of staff on Economic Stimuli Program and also their absorption into permanent and pensionable terms by the County Public Service Board.
“We also want harmonisation of salaries and allowances of nurses in Nairobi County since as at now there is a wide disparity of salary among the nurses,” said Ms Ngare who also called for the promotion of nurses who had furthered their education.
The Nairobi nurses’ union is also faulting the county’s lack of essential services in hospitals citing disconnection of power and water supplies in Makadara and Jericho health centres due to unpaid bills.