The doctors’ strike is unlikely to end before the Thursday deadline after talks between them and the government failed yet again.
Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists’ Union officials said the Ministry of Health did not invite them to any meeting yesterday or today. The officials said they are ready to be jailed on Thursday for disobeying court orders to call off the strike.
“The government has not called us for a meeting so far and claims by the government we have agreed on some issues on the CBA are a fallacy because we haven’t agreed on anything,” Nairobi branch secretary Thuranira Kaugiria told the Star.
Health CS Cleopa Mailu was said to be furious with KMPDU officials for sponsoring the demonstration by students at Afya House last week, yet there was an agreement to stop all demos until the talks are over.
The officials have also continued endless attacks on the government on social media against the agreement reached last week.
“This week, our leaders, and indeed all doctors in Kenya, will be jailed for aspiring for a responsive healthcare system. We are ready,” KMPDU secretary general Ouma Oluga said.
Doctors are demanding a 300 per cent pay rise, giving an intern a monthly salary of Sh325,000 and specialists close to Sh1 million monthly pay.
They have rejected all offers from the government, the last one being the 40 per cent pay rise offered by President Uhuru Kenya, which gave an intern Sh208,000 monthly salary.
Dr Mailu said the government has made spirited eff orts to engage the union in a return-to-work formula and the controversial 2013 collective bargaining agreement.
“It is now, however, apparent that the union is not interested in addressing the issues as pronounced by the court,” he told the media.
Employment and Labour Relations Court judge Hellen Wasilwa gave the KMPDU national offi cials up to ursday this week to end their strike or go to prison for one month. The strike now enters Day 51.
The 2013 CBA was declared void by the Labour Court in October last year and doctors were ordered to negotiate a new one, involving the county governments and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.