KENYA: Industrial Court extends order stopping health workers' strike

The Industrial Court on Monday morning extended orders stopping the strike by health workers to December 24th when the case will be heard.

Last Wednesday, Health Cabinet Secretary James Macharia sought a court order to end the strike, which he called unconstitutional and contrary to the Labour Relations Act, which prohibits essential services staff from boycotting work. 

The strike entered it's sixth day Monday, paralysing operations in hospitals and health centres countrywide. 

On Sunday, the chairman of the Kenya National Dentists Association, Dr Sultan Matendechero, maintained the strike was on, adding that the government had not engaged the workers, and insisting health workers will not be intimidated by the government move to hire unlicensed people.

The Kenya Health Professional Association secretary-general Moses Lore also blamed the government. “Nurses are already working in counties but we cannot just move into the new dispensation without clear terms, a thing the government has failed to avail,” he said.

However, Murang’a county governor Mwangi wa Iria, through a notice placed in the Sunday Nation of December 15th, ordered all medical practitioners and medics who are employees of the county government to resume duty on Monday, warning those who would defy the order that they would face ‘the relevant human resource consequences.’

DAILY NATION KENYA: