The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) yesterday reached an agreement with the government and agreed to resume work, bringing to an end the nine day strike that has paralyzed healthcare in public hospitals.

In the deal signed between the Council of Governors (CoG) and the KNUN officials, it was agreed that the county governments will sign the Recognition Agreement with KNUN and that the union would concurrently call off the strike as ordered by the court.

The Recognition Agreement now mandates counties to engage with the union on all issues touching on the nurses.

Nurses and Government come to an agreement on strike

The parties also agreed that the deal will also be incorporated in the comprehensive harmonized CBA to be formulated within two months for the period between 2017-2021.

The National Government also agreed to offer nurses a monthly increase in nursing allowances amounting to Sh20, 000 for those in Job Groups G to L and Sh15, 000 for Job Groups M and above.

“We have reached an agreement and the small issues that the National Governing Council had raised have actually been handled and those that have not been handled we have agreed in a commitment from the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Health that they’ll be handled during the Harmonized Collective Bargaining Agreement that is going to be negotiated beginning 1 January 2017,” said KNUN Secretary-General Seth Panyako.

Doctors are still on strike and health CS Cleopha Mailu has asked them to lower their hard stands saying the government is ready for negotiation.

The doctors and nurses went on a countrywide strike last Monday, demanding a 300 per cent salary increment as stipulated in the CBA signed in 2013.