NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya’s state sector doctors, who have been on strike for three months, said on Wednesday they would not resume work after a government order the day before, and would wait for the conclusion of court-supervised resolution of the dispute.

“While all doctors have been ready to resume duty, doing so under threats, intimidation and show of disrespect is tantamount to career suicide,” the doctor’s union, KMPDU, said on Twitter.

The doctors downed their tools in December demanding authorities implement a deal agreed in 2013 to give them a 150 to 180 percent pay rise.

KMPDU, which has about 5000 members, also wants the government to review working conditions, job structures and criteria for promotions.

They also say they want under-staffing in state hospitals addressed.

Months of negotiations between the two sides have not borne fruit, however, and on Tuesday the government said it had terminated those talks after accusing the union of inflexibility in negotiations and rejecting a 50 percent pay hike offer.

Doctors were also ordered to resume work.

In a series of tweets, KMPDU said its members would only return to duty after signing an agreement with the government “as was guided by the court of appeal under the mediation of religious leaders”.

The latest move by the union threatens to drag on a stand off that is testing the government of President Uhuru Kenyatta and his re-election bid in polls due in August.

The court of appeal ordered the parties to appear in court on Monday to report on the progress of the talks