Nairobi — The industrial court has ruled that nurses have a right to form a union. The court has also held at the nurses have a constitutional right to go on strike. The ruling bars the Permanent Secretary for Medical Services from victimising any nurse until the matter is fully heard and determined.

The Minister of Medical Services, Labour and any other relevant official have also been instructed to meet with officials of the union as presently constituted to resolve the dispute. They are required to reach consent within the next seven days and report back to court on January 4, 2013 to confirm compliance.

The nurses took the battle for the union to court on Thursday. Nurses in several hospital have been on strike for several weeks putting them at logger heads with the Medical Services Ministry which is said to have withheld their salaries and threatened them with sackings.

More to follow...