More pain for Nairobians as County fails to convene meeting with KMPDU over doctors’ strike
Malindi stated that despite the County having been required to convene a meeting with the doctors officials yesterday, they never did even as the KMPDU officials reached out to them officially via a letter.
Laxity by the Nairobi City County government will continue to cost Nairobians visiting various hospitals operated by the Sakaja-led administration as doctors continue with their strike for the second week.
Despite appearing the Employment and Labor Relations Court today after seeking its intervention to ensure the return of services in the various county facilities, the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU) Nairobi Chapter Secretary General Chao Malindi revealed to the Informer Media Group that City Hall did not submit any proposals that would see them suspend the strike.
She stated that the doctors, on their part, presented to the court their proposals on what can be done for the strike to come to an end.
“The county did not come with their proposals on what they’ll be doing to see us get back to work. They (court) ordered that we still meet and reconvene on Tuesday next week,” Malindi explained to The Informer Media Group.
Malindi stated that despite the County being directed to convene a meeting with KMPDU yesterday, it never took place despite the union reaching out to them officially via a letter.
“The county took us to court, and the KMPDU Nairobi officials were summoned to court today. The county was meant to hold a meeting yesterday, but they never convened it despite us reaching out to them via a letter, to which they never responded,” she explained.
When asked why the county government did not convene the meeting, Nairobi Chief Officer for Public Health Tom Nyakaba stated that the meeting has been scheduled to take place today, even though the KMPDU officials refuted this, saying they have not received any communication over the same.
“The meeting with KMPDU officials has been scheduled today,” Nyakaba told the Informer Media Group via SMS.
“We have not received any communication of the said meeting. If there are any, let them share,” the KMPDU Nairobi Secretary General stated.
Speaking earlier today in an interview with the Informer Media Group, Nyakaba stated that the county government moved to court to ensure service delivery is restored in Nairobi.
“We did not sue anyone. We just moved to the Employment and Labour Relations Court to ensure we have service delivery. We are supposed to have a meeting with them and agree with the doctors,” Nyakaba stated.
Among the issues raised by the doctors employed by the Nairobi County government that led them to strike include chronic salary delays, which Nyakaba dismissed, saying they are paid on time like everyone else in the county.
“The CBA was signed with the National government and not us. We pay salaries in time. We pay the entire workforce, we do not separate doctors from the other staff, and we have been paying salaries every month, including statutory deductions,” he said.
KMPDU clarified that they decided to proceed with their strike after the county showed no interest in listening to their plea even as they called them to a meeting on the last day of the strike notice.
“They called us the last day of our strike notice, but nothing tangible was achieved, hence the decision to proceed with the strike,” Malindi said.
City doctors downed their tools for almost two weeks now citing illegal stoppage of salaries, dismissals, delay of salaries, stalled promotions, unpaid gratuities, and delayed confirmations.
The medics reiterated that they do not choose to strike, but circumstances force them to as they are incapacitated by the county, adding that they must be valued and supported by the administration.
“All Nairobi County doctors will down their tools tomorrow midnight due to illegal salary stoppages and dismissals, chronic salary delays, stalled promotions, unpaid gratuities, and delayed confirmation letters,” KMPDU said in a statement ahead of the strike.
“We don’t choose to strike. How can we care for patients when we are deliberately incapacitated? Doctors must be valued, supported, and empowered to serve,” they added.
A day after the commencement of the strike, Kariobangi North MCA Joel Munuve called on the Sakaja-led administration to have a chat with the doctors and have them resume work to avoid Nairobians suffering.
The legislator has blamed the medics strike on Sakaja, saying that he has not laid out a proper strategy for ensuring Nairobians get essential services like healthcare.
Munuve stated that instead of Sakaja talking to people who owe the county money to facilitate the running of its affairs, he has resorted to dumping waste on their facilities citing the recent standoff between City Hall and Kenya Power where the county dumped garbage at Stima Plaza and disconnected their sewer and water.
