Nurses at Moi Referral call off work boycott

• The Kenya National Union of Nurses branch secretary Sammy Cheserek said the management has agreed to their demands and therefore, necessitating the calling off of the strike.

Nurses at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, who have been on strike for the last two weeks, have called off the boycott as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Medical Services, Mary Ngare, promised full implementation of salaries and allowances.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses branch secretary Sammy Cheserek said the management has agreed to their demands and therefore, necessitating the calling off of the strike.

READ: Doctors' strike paralyses key public hospitals

“The hospital has agreed to implement promotions of nurses and pay extraneous allowances,” said Mr Cheserek.

He added that the 727 nurses at the hospital will not be victimised for participating in the strike as well as withdrawal of suspension letters that had been issued to them.

The hospital director Dr John Kibosia said the hospital will the second phase of extraneous allowance effective 1st July, 2012 through September 2012 payroll. He added that staff promotions will also be effected in September.

Speaking at the hospital, during the launch of a calibration laboratory ,Ms Ngare said that the government was committed to ensure that nurses work under conducive environment.

“We have already received Sh1.9 billion from Treasury for harmonisation of salaries of health workers and we will be doing it this month,” said the PS.