After three months of industrial action, clinical officers have concluded their strike by reaching an agreement with governors.
The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), which represents the medics, announced on Monday, July 8th, that they had reached a return-to-work formula with the Council of Governors (CoG).
George Gibore, Secretary General of KUCO, directed their members nationwide to resume their duties following negotiations with county leaders who had urged an end to the strike.
“We began our strike on April 1, after a seven-day notice, which was issued on March 25, and we have been on strike until today. By signing this return-to-work formula, we are officially declaring that our strike has come to an end and our members shall resume duty in their respective places of work, starting today, and not later than 24 hours from the date herein,” Gibore stated.
On May 15th, KUCO reaffirmed that their strike was protected by a court order and announced their intention to withdraw all officers from public hospitals.
This decision came after an Employment and Labour Relations Court order on May 9th, which protected clinicians from harassment and intimidation by county governments. The court also directed employers to finalize a return-to-work agreement to be submitted to court by June 25th.
The agreement signed between clinicians and county chiefs mandates the initiation of negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement immediately, with a requirement to conclude within 60 days from the signing date.
As stipulated in the agreement, the proposed Risk Allowance will be negotiated and paid upon approval by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.
Regarding medical insurance, the agreement requires devolved units without current medical cover for clinical officers to commence and complete the process by September of this year, following prevailing Public Service Policies and guidelines.
Furthermore, the agreement ensures that no clinical officers will face victimization for participating in the strike.
Consequently, all disciplinary proceedings related to the strike notice and subsequent events are to be halted.
