Kisumu Medics agree to return to work but say CBA must be fully implemented.

 The KMPDU officials led by the Nyanza Branch Chairman Dr. Kevin Osuri{third left} and the County Government of Kisumu officials led by CEC in charge of Health and Sanitation Prof. Judith Atyang during a joint press conference today in Kisumu-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo

December 30, 2019.

Kisumu Medics agree to return to work but say CBA must be fully implemented.

Doctors in Public Health facilities in Kisumu County have agreed to go back to work after calling off their strike but insist that their Collective Bargaining Agreement of 2017 and the Return to Work Agreement signed this year in June must be fully implemented as they are.

In joint press conference today in Kisumu that has been attended by the Kisumu County Government officials led by CEC in charge of Health and Sanitation Prof Judy Atyang and the two officials of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union Dr. Kevin Osuri and Dr. Lameck Omweri , the medics through their union said the recently called off strike remained called off as part of the four resolutions agreed upon today.

As part of the resolution, the medics shall continue to collect their promotion letters from the department of heal and Sanitation.

In a resolution read by the Secretary of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union Nyanza Branch Dr Lameck Omweri, the County Government of Kisumu and the medics have also resolved that doctors scheduled for suitability interviews to in order to get their promotions as per the provisions of the Doctor’s schemes of Service shall do so between January 20 and 24, 2020 as per the schedule provided by the County Public Service Board.

The two parties have further resolved, that is the County Government of Kisumu and the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union shall continue with the implementation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement as signed under the supervision of the CBA Implementation Committee.

The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union Nyanza Branch Chairman Dr. Kevin Osuri who attended the joint press briefing said their reference points still remain the CBA of 2017 and the Return to work formula signed in June this year.

He says one of the resolutions they have is that there will be a CBA Implementation and Monitoring Committee that will be chaired by the County Secretary, adding that this will be an engagement platform between the union and the County Government of Kisumu.

“Our reference point still remain the CBA of 2017 and the Return to Work Formula that was signed on June 24, 2019 and these remains our reference point,” Dr. Osuri says.

Dr. Osuri has clarified that what has occasioned the delay in collecting the promotion letters is that the two parties had not exhaustively agreed on article of their return to work formula which is in the CBA that all Doctors will be promoted to the correct job group.

“We were still in an ongoing negotiation process and if you see both the two parties here together then it means that we have agreed on how the promotions will be done,” Dr. Osuri says.

However Dr. Osuri was at pain to properly explain what adjustments were made on the promotions letters for the Doctors which the Union had earlier termed as “love letters” hence refused to pick when the County Government of Kisumu asked them to do so.

He says the promotion letters issued earlier were not verified by the union at first, adding that the union did verification last Saturday and some ‘errors’ which were there were rectified before an agreement was reached so that the doctors can now pick them.

“We have also since the time we had rejected the letters have been given an assurance that the will be a suitability interview for senior doctors numbering about 20,” Dr. Osuri adds.

Kisumu County Executive Committee Member in Charge of Health and Sanitation Prof. Judith Miguda Atyang confirmed that the above four resolutions are the ones the two parties agreed upon.

She says the resolutions that have been agreed upon will be carried out as agreed.

The Doctors in Kisumu county who work in Public Health facilities have been on strike for nearly three weeks after they protested the County Government of Kisumu alleged failure to implement their CBA 2017 and their June,24 this year’s Return to Work Formula.

On Saturday, the medics called off the strike through their Union after it agreed and made some resolutions to help in unlocking the stalemate which has seen the health service delivery in public hospitals paralyzed as members of the public sought treatment in neighboring counties like Kakamega, Vihiga and Kisii Counties.

ENDS