Nurses Issue A 7-Day Strike Notice Over Revenue Sharing Stalemate

The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has issued a seven-day strike notice over the revenue sharing stalemate.

The nurses’ union has vowed that its members will down tools if the Senate will not have resolved the stalemate within seven days, since most counties have not paid health workers for the last three months.

“We warn the government that we together with all health workers and other county public servants, we will bring this country to its knees on Monday 10^th if these issues are not addressed with the urgency that they deserve and specifically the issue of the salary arrears for the last three months,” said KNUN Secretary-General Seth Panyako.

This comes at a time the country is experiencing rising numbers in Covid-19 infections, with over 600 health workers infected currently.

“Our nurses and doctors are being infected by this virus and they are not even able to pay their rent or buy food because their salaries are being delayed due to some selfishness. We will not put our lives at risk if our dignity and respect are not observed,” Panyako said.

Read: “Secession Is Also An Option,” Economist David Ndii Says As He Weighs Into Revenue Allocation Debate

Panyako has urged the Senate not to allow any reduction of County Revenue Allocation, saying that may lead to laying off workers, failure to promote nurses and other health workers. He has also called on the government to employ 7000 jobless nurses to join the fight against Covid-19.

Last week, Senators shot down a proposal by the Commission of Revenue Allocation that would have seen revenue shared among counties on the basis of population rather than land mass.

The Senate is on Tuesday set to sit for a record sixth time to try and debate the way forward for a formula where some counties do not lose revenue while others gain.

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