The medical professionals’ union in Nairobi has issued a stern warning, threatening to call for a strike if their grievances remain unaddressed. Central to their concerns are the placement of interns and the remuneration of basic salaries, issues that have persisted despite previous agreements.
SG Davji Atellah, a spokesperson for the union, asserted that they may resort to industrial action, as sanctioned by Court Orders in NAIROBI ELRC 6464 OF 2020 under Section 69, if their case for continued participation in the process goes unheeded.
Atellah emphasized that, “Unless a case is presented for our continued participation in this process, we shall consider the dispute unresolved under Section 69 and move that our industrial action be sanctioned by the Court Orders in NAIROBI ELRC 6464 OF 2020.”
On January 4th, the union convened with Health CS Susan Nakhumicha and COG Chairperson of Health Committee Muthomi Njuki, reaching a consensus on the matters at hand. Section 67 of the Labour Relations Act grants the conciliation committee a 30-day window, or any mutually agreed-upon extension, to deliver on their promises.
The meeting concluded with the understanding that the CBA 2017-2021 issue concerning basic salary remuneration would be resolved within 60 days, and negotiations for CBA 2021-2025 would commence in February 2023. However, Atellah lamented the lack of progress thus far, noting that 360 interns have not been placed since December, despite assurances to the contrary.
A notice, dated May 2nd, was dispatched to various authorities, including Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, COG Chairperson Anne Waiguru, and CS Nakhumicha, alerting them to the potential unrest. The notice was also sent to PSC chairperson Anthony Muchiri, CSs Florence Bore (Labour), Njuguna Ndung’u (Treasury), all county governments, and vice-chancellors of medical training universities.