Central Organisation of Trade Union urges workers to embrace new NHIF rates

Nairobi, Kenya - Central Organisation of Trade Union COTU fully supports the new National Hospital Insurance Fund NHIF rates and its over 2 million members who will be contributing to the scheme in order to benefit from the enhanced NHIF medical benefits.

“We wish to dissociate COTU from those clamoring for the suspension of  the new rates since COTU was part and parcel of negotiations for the new rates including the enhanced benefits and already we have sensitized our members on the benefits that will come with the new deductions and we urge those opposed to the new rates including Federation of Kenya Employers FKE, the Kenya National Union of Teachers KNUT and the Kenya union of post primary education teachers KUPPET  to enter into dialogue with NHIF with a view to agree on the way forward.” Read part of the statement to the media.

COTU secretary general Francis Atwoli says that it was in anticipation of the new NHIF rates that COTU lobbied government and the president awarded workers a minimum wage increase of 12%.