The Employment and Labour Relations Court has temporarily stopped the dismissal of more than 700 contract workers at the county hospital pending the hearing and determination of a case brought by the nurses' union.

In her ruling, Judge Hellen Wasilwa suspended the implementation of a May 31 circular informing the county workers of its decision to terminate their contracts.

The judge ordered the nurses to continue providing services until their case is decided.

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The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) went to court on June 29 to challenge the county's decision to dismiss the hospital workers whose contracts expired on June 30.

KNUN wants the circular signed by the county's Chief Officer for Medical Services, Dr John Murima, to be declared illegal.

In the circular, Dr Murima instructed the heads of various hospitals to communicate his decision to terminate the employment of the workers when their contracts expire on June 30.

The workers had been on a three-month contract from April 1 to June 30.

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The County was supposed to declare the positions vacant for new applications through the County Public Service Board.

However, in its response to the case, the county sought to have the application thrown out on the grounds that the court did not have jurisdiction to deal with it.

In the county's papers, Mr Francis Kihoro on behalf of the county's lawyer Mr Caleb Nyamwange argued that the application was premature because the nurses had not exhausted all internal dispute resolution mechanisms.

However, the court ordered the county to file its response to the case within 14 days.

"The respondents shall file their replies within 14 days, the applicant shall respond within 14 days," Justice Wasilwa ordered.

The case will be mentioned on October 3 for further directions.

opendajoseph@gmail.com

Court suspends dismissal of more than 780 casual hospital workers in Nakuru

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Joseph Openda