Mombasa Nurses and Clinical officer have called off their strike.
The frontline workers have been on strike for the last three months demanding on time payment of salaries, remittance of all statutory deductions to the relevant authorities on time, protection from Covid-19 threats among other demands.
Mombasa Health Acting Executive Member Godfrey Nato said the nurses and clinical officers have been in deliberations with the county government and they on Thursday reached an agreement.
According to Mr. Nato, the nurses and clinical officers are currently demanding only January salaries and which they have entered into an agreement with the county government on settling the pending salaries.
“We can’t ignore the fact that our people have suffered but going forward that will never be witnessed again in our county,” said Mr. Nato.
He said the government is providing quality and standard Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s) to all health workers in the public hospitals and other health facilities in the county.
The strike
“We do not think Covid-19 threat was an issue that triggered the three month strike since the county government launched various initiatives to protecting health workers,” he revealed.
However, he said going forward, the county government will be engaging all county health workers so as to avert such crisis in the health sector.
The agreement
On his part, Mombasa branch Clinical officers Union’s Secretary Franklin Makanga said they will stick to the signed agreement warning that if the county fails to fully implement it, they will have no option but to down their tools again.
“We believe that the county will keep its word, we have been raising these issues for long and its time all our demands and critical aspects concerning the health sector are amicably addressed,” he said.
Makanga said the Clinical officers have suffered for long despite tirelessly serving the community.
Speaking after signing the agreement at the Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho’s offices on Thursday evening, Nurses Union Mombasa Branch Secretary Peter Maroko, said they will be keen in ensuring the agreement is fully implemented.
Maroko said their demands are very clear, early payment of monthly salaries, remittance of all the statutory deductions, and health insurance cover among others.
The county government has further disclosed that there will be no victimisation and in fact the backlog in the salaries and statutory deductions has been by 50 % cleared.
