Clinical officers call off strike, set to resume CBA talks with Gov’t

The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) has announced that it has called off its 60-day strike notice which was set to begin on the midnight of July 13, 2023.

KUCO Secretary General George Gibore, in a statement to newsrooms on Friday, said it has since suspended the planned go slow for 90 days following a day-long meeting with the Ministry of Health.

According to Gibore, the ministry committed to resume negotiations on the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), and also engage the other unions to formulate their Recognition Agreements (RA).

The KUCO boss further added that the suspension of the strike will hence allow for dialogue geared towards finding solutions to the issues raised by the clinical officers and other healthcare workers in the sector.

“We believe that it is in the best interest of our members and the public at large to give negotiations another chance. The resumption of the CBA negotiation presents an opportunity for constructive dialogue and the possibility of resolving the issues that have led to this impasse,” stated Mr. Gibore.

“During this temporary suspension of the strike notice, we encourage all members to remain vigilant and stay informed about the progress of the negotiations. We will closely monitor the discussions and keep you updated on any developments.”

The clinical officers previously gave the government a 44-day ultimatum to renew the contracts for 9,000 universal health healthcare workers failure to which they would down their tools.

They also demanded salary arrears pending for three months.