In the wake of the recent Matatu strike, Nurses have decided to air their grievances in the form of a nation-wide protest. The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) and the National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK) have vowed to strike on the 7th of December, 2012 if the government does not yield to their demands.
This may be the latest crisis in a series of protests that have crippled daily routines for millions of people across the country. From the Doctor’s strike several weeks ago, to the Likoni Ferry crisis, trickling down to the recent Matatu protests, patients and commuters have been jerked around like chew-toys in the jaws of a rabid dog.
What do they want?
Like most local protests, it all boils down to money. The nurses want their salaries to be incremented 300%. Below is a table showing how much they expect to receive during the first payment phase:
According to NNAK Chairperson, Luke Kodambo, the salaries should increase annually at a rate of 10% or otherwise rise depending on the inflation rate.
He pointed out that the country’s medical infrastructure was old and dilapidated, encouraging the government to rectify the situation. Kodambo also mentioned that nurses lacked sufficient human resources and inadequate funding, which would otherwise give them the means to provide patients with quality healthcare.
The nurses are demanding a house, risk and hardship allowance. According to the Kenya Health Professionals Society (KHPS), nurses also want a non-practice allowance, a uniform allowance, the employment of more workers and better working equipment.
But top on their agenda is the registration of an official nurses’ Union. Without an official body, all their suggestions might as well fall on deaf years. Throw in some basic human rights like better working conditions and you’ve got yourself a list of demands.
What Seems to Be the Problem?
The crisis dates back to September 2012 when nurses threatened to leave their hospitals unattended if the government failed to yield to their demands. Shortly thereafter, the government agreed to hold talks with the nurses, prompting them to suspend the strike for 30 days. Almost two months later, no real progress had been made,
As such, nurses have decided to take off their scrubs and fight for what they believe to be rightfully theirs.
Nurses may want a single representative entity but other organisations like the Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) and the Kenya Progressive Nurses Association (KPNA) beg to differ. The UKCS believes that the strike is illegal based on Kenya’s Labour Relations Act which states that only registered Unions are permitted to hold such protests.
Late last year, KNUN, submitted a letter to the Registrar of Trade Unions in a bid to form a single Union, geared particularly towards representing nurses. In November of 2012, the Registrar rejected the application, stating that nurses were sufficiently represented by other entities.
The UKCS already represents nurses in public hospitals while another body, known as the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha), speaks for nurses from the Kenyatta National Hospital. The two organisations recently condemned the strike as Minister for Medical Services, Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o urged nurses to be patient as the government looks for a solution.
The strike notice follows a similar threat from the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentists Union (KMPDU) for the 5th of December, 2012. This will mark yet another consecutive strike notice from the medical fraternity since the KMPDU’s grievances appeared to be met on the 4th of October, 2012.
“The government will not victimise or take any disciplinary action against any doctors and KMPDU members that participated in the strike,” said a spokesperson for the Union during an official public announcement. This was shortly after the Ministry of Medical Services agreed to meet the needs of the KMPDU.
Since then, doctors have resumed their services while nurses wait with bated breath for what they hope to be a positive response.
Shortly thereafter, on the 22nd of November, 2012 one Dr Wambui Waithaka reported that a Common Bargaining Agreement between the government and the KMPDU was going well.
The Journey So Far
On the other hand, the nurses’ strike appears to be an issue of conflicting opinions. On the one hand, some public sector nurses have kicked off the first wave of their strike notice on Monday 3rd December, 2012. On the other hand, KNH nurses have made no official moves to join the protests. In fact, they carried out their services as if nothing had happened. However, the KNH NNAK Chairman, Wilson Ochieng argued that the only reason their nurses did not join the protests was because they are currently dealing with sensitive cases of patients. He said that they were on a go-slow.
“We have presented our grievances to the government,” said Kodambo. “We will give room for dialogue but if nothing is forthcoming, we will go on strike.”
On the 30th of November, he had called off the strike, pending said dialogue. Medical Services Permanent Secretary Mary Ngari supported the diplomatic move, noting that the talks were likely to bear fruit.
But like an apple with a rotten core, the process has been less than appealing. While some parties have been impatient, Medical Chapter of the UKCS, Evans Nasebe has opposed the strike, noting that if some nurses are sacked, they will not be able to defend themselves in court since the strike conflicts with the Labour Relations Act.
The government has since agreed to give the nurses a uniform and hardship allowance. Ngari mentioned that the government had already come up with structured guidelines for the entire Civil Service aimed at ensuring their welfare. She also noted that other allowances were bound to follow.