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Nurses threaten to strike from Monday over poor working conditions

Nurses cite delay in allowances and supply of substandard PPEs.

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by susan muhindi

News05 August 2020 - 10:39
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In Summary


  • • KNUN SG Seth Panyako said that both essential and frontline workers are facing serious delays in implementation of the presidential directive to pay risk allowances.
  • • He said nurses won't be going to work without N95 masks.
Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako during a press conference at the Railways Club, Nairobi on Wednesday, August 5, 2020.

Nurses have threatened to down their tools from Monday, citing poor working conditions especially during the Civid-19 pandemic.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses Secretary General Seth Panyako said that both essential and frontline workers are facing serious delays in implementation of the presidential directive to pay risk allowances.

Other payments include responsibility allowances and insurance covers which the nurses say lead to serious demoralisation.

 

"From Monday it will not be business as usual in this country. You can't work when you don't have food, you have children in the house and you can't pay your rent," Panyako said.

Speaking in Nairobi on Wednesday, Panyako further wants all health care workers especially in Western and Nyanza regions to be tested.

The SG said these areas were supplied with substandard PPEs.

He said nurses won't be going to work without N95 masks.

Panyako says there are no isolation facilities in the country to cater for infected health workers despite the government promises to do so.

"WHO has said that this virus is a work injury hazard hence treatment of all frontline health workers should be free," he added.

The county workers union Secretary General Roba Duba  noted that so far workers are yet to receive their June and July salaries.

 

"There is a big crisis. We can no longer exercise any more resilience. Provision of quality PPEs is mandatory. Health care workers need physical protection because they are killed from and on their way to work," Roba said.


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