Busia clinical officers have agreed to return to work, 40 days after withdrawing their services citing failure by the county government to effect their promotions.
The return to work agreement was signed by Deputy Governor Moses Mulomi, Health chief officer Isaac Omeri and union officials led by county secretary general Philemon Nakoche on Wednesday.
An earlier meeting between the workers and Governor Sospeter Ojaamong on November 8 failed to arrived at a deal.
“The choice is yours to either call off the strike or you continue with it at your own peril. I owe you in high esteem but I am shocked you have opted to down your tools at the expense of suffering county residents who seek treatment in hospitals," Ojaamong told the clinicians.
The following 32 days were silent with the health workers carrying on with their strike until they sought an audience with Mulomi who is also the acting health executive. The meeting with the deputy governor brokered a deal that ended the stalemate.
Mulomi later addressed the press and said the union had agreed to end the strike pending the suspension and re-designation of 55 members by the County Public Service Board.
He said the county government had promoted 22 clinical officers in January. That was out of the 24 the union had wanted to be promoted. Names of the other 33 clinicians have been forwarded to the County Advisory Council before they are taken to the CPSB for implementation.
Omeri thanked the health workers for agreeing to return to work.
Mulomi said the county will keep its promise and that those who qualify for promotions will be considered.
More than 10,000 clinical officers went on strike countrywide on November 1, following the collapse of their collective bargaining agreement and failure by the national government to pay diploma interns.
In a letter to the Ministry of Health, the national union's secretary general George Gibore said failure to sign the CBA and registered in court among others were the main reasons for the strike.
The High Court on November 14 upheld the strike and directed county and national governments through the conciliatory team to the negotiating table.
edited by p. obuya
