A section of the nurses’ union has rejected a deal that was signed by some officials and the Health ministry on Sunday.
The turnabout comes after the union top brass realised the new pay hike did not meet its expectations.
The bargain offered nurses an annual payout of Sh20,000 for those between Job groups G-L and Sh15,000 for nurses in Job Groups M and above.
Sixty per cent of it will be paid in January next year and the remainder on July 1 next year. Mailu said the pay rise will cost the government Sh7 billion annually.
Nurses have been asking for up to 50 per cent pay rise, new allowances and harmonisation of their grading scales. This would push the basic salary of the lowest paid nurse to Sh32,000.
Knun’s National Governing Council yesterday met at the Nairobi’s Railway Club and rejected the pay deal, meaning the strike continues.
However, the officials who called off the strike on Sunday accused secretary general Seth Panyako of dishonesty, saying the NGC does not have the exclusive powers to call off a strike.
Panyako, who sits on both the national executive council and the top NGC, disowned the Sunday deal.
“The NGC has unanimously decided the strike is still on and has not been called off,” said Panyako, who read the NGC’s statement.
He said they are ready to suspend the strike this week if all counties sign recognition agreement with the union, which is expected to happen today.
They also demanded all cases against the union and its leaders be withdrawn. Panyako is said to have cases in different courts.
“We are ready to suspend the strike, but not stop it completely,” Panyako said. “The Collective Bargaining Agreement must be completed by March 2 next year.”
The council demanded a Sh20,000 salary increase paid every month to everyone from January.
The move by the NGC splits the troubled union into two camps.
NEC leaders insist the strike is over and have urged members to resume work.
Nurses urged to resume work
Knun chairman John Bii said members who do not resume work have only themselves to blame.
“We have had numerous strikes, which have been called by the national executive council or the general secretary. In the absence of the general secretary, his deputy has absolute powers to call on or off the strikes,” he said.
Bii said Panyako had authored the Sunday agreement document and had promised to be present at the signing at Afya House.
“Come December 11, the GS [Panyako] was nowhere to be found. He called afterwards quarreling with everybody that he had instructed us to switch off our phones. This was a lie. He kept everybody guessing until we made the bold decision to suspend the strike to save the image of the union,” Bii said.
“He cannot purport to distance himself, yet the final copy of the agreement adopted by the government was authored by him on Saturday at Seasons Hotel, Nairobi.”
He said at around 6pm on Saturday, Panyako spoke to Heath Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu and his Chief of Staff and assured them he would be at Afya House on Sunday at 9am to sign the agreement.
The ministry cancelled the 9am press conference after Panyako failed to show up and his phone was off. It was pushed to 1pm.
The Sunday deal was signed by Bii, Knun deputy secretary general Maurice Odhiambo and Mailu.
County chiefs to sign deal
Meanwhile, the Council of Governors has planned an elaborate ceremony today to sign the recognition agreement with Knun. The CoG also invited striking doctors for fresh talks beginning today.
Yesterday, chairman Peter Munya warned nurses against failing to report to wrok, saying they will be dealt with accordingly.
“The Council of Governors advises the nurses that there shall be consequences for those who do not report to work with immediate effect as agreed upon,” he said in a statement.
Munya said the talks between the nurses’ union, CoG and the national government were successful and there was a unanimous decision that all nurses return to work.
“The parties agreed that the remaining part of the talks will be done as nurses work to avert any more suffering,” he said.
The secretary general clarified that the duties of his office, including calling and calling off nurses’ strikes, can only be delegated to other union officials in writing in line with Section 2(a) of the Labour Relations Act. “One of us can move to court and challenge the deal and it will be thrown out,” he said. Panyako said the officials acted in greed and went against his advice not to sign the deal. The strike has paralysed operations in public health facilities across the country.