Doctors demonstrate during previous strike. Photo/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 28 – Just a day after teachers threatened to go on strike, doctors gave the government five days within which to respond to their demands or also mobilise a nationwide medics' strike.
The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Ouma Oluga told a press conference in Nairobi that the industrial action by doctors in Kiambu began on December 18.
"KMPDU herein, therefore gives Kiambu County a five-day ultimatum to end this stalemate they created. In the event that it is not amicably solved, the union shall have no option but to mobilise for nationwide doctors strike," Oluga warned.
He said the strike will involve doctors in public and private medical centre in support of doctors in Kiambu to ensure the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and a 600 percent pay rise is implemented.
The doctors argued that in the Return To Work Formula (RTWF) agreed on September 4, 2014, they were promised that problems facing them would be resolved.
Their grievances included delayed payment of salaries, poor terms of payment and slackness in promotion of doctors.
According to Oluga, the poor working conditions and failure by Kiambu County to honour the CBA has demotivated doctors in their work.
""Until today, Kiambu County has never honoured any of the agreements in the RTWF even it is a document that was duly prepared and signed by their top officers. This has caused serious demoralisation given that some doctors missed their salaries for the fifth month last November," he explained.
The doctors urged Kiambu County to resolve the matter to ensure people access medical services.
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