By Humphrey Malalo
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Kenyan public health workers have ended a near two-week strike over pay after reaching a deal with the government which withdrew a threat to sack 25,000 members of their union, officials said on Thursday.
The protest, that left ill patients without medical treatment, was the latest in a string of strikes to grip east Africa’s biggest economy in the past year as soaring consumer prices fanned widespread discontent.
“The entire workforce in government hospitals resumed their duties after a return-to-work formula was reached,” said Alex Orina, spokesman for the Kenya Health Professionals Society that represents the striking workers.
“Any employee who fails to report on duty by the end of Thursday evening will be dealt with individually according to disciplinary procedures,” Orina told Reuters.
He said their workers’ demand for pay raises would be addressed in the next government budget that commences in July, and hospitals closed due to the strike have been re-opened.
Kenya’s government said last week it had sacked 25,000 public health workers after they refused to end their strike, but had now withdrawn all the dismissal letters. The government had said the health workers were acting unethically.
“All the striking health workers have resumed their duties and now there is no problem in the health sector,” Alfred Khangati, an assistant minister in the office of the prime minister which held talks with the workers union.
HIGH COSTS
