Health workers issue strike notice as State reneges on deal

By RAWLINGS OTIENO

Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o and his Public Health counterpart Beth Mugo have been put on notice by health workers’ union over unfulfilled promises.

The Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha) are threatening to rally health workers to down their tools if the two ministers fail to implement the agreement they signed last year.

Secretary General Albert Njeru said that failure by the Government to honour the agreement was tantamount to bad labour practices, adding that the health workers’ welfare should be addressed amicably.

“The two ministers have failed to honour the agreement signed last year. We have not seen any of the said agreements implemented and we are asking when they are going to implement. If they fail to engage us in negotiations before the end of this month, then we will have no option,” said Njeru.

Hardship allowance

Speaking during a press briefing at a Nairobi hotel, the union wants the Government to implement agreed remuneration on risk allowance, hardship and uniform allowances.

Kudheiha Secretary General Mr Albert Njeru (centre) flanked by his Deputy Mr Samson Kioko (left) and the shop steward of Kenyatta National Hospital Mr Stephen Makaya at a press conference. [PHOTOS: COLLINS KWEYU and kevin tunoi/STANDARD]

Njeru said the schemes of work for health workers had not changed for the last 10 years, and now wants the Government to stop discrimination against health sector workers.

He said that there are only 2,500 health workers rendering services for over 40 million people, adding that more staff should be employed to reduce the workload.

He said the Government has also failed to provide adequate health facilities and tools for workers to efficiently carry out their duties, noting that there has been a lack of linkage between the two health ministries.

The union wants accountants, cooks, nurses and cleaners working in private and public hospitals to be paid extraneous allowances just like medical doctors.

“We fail to understand why medical doctors are paid extraneous allowances yet other health workers are not. They toil day and night for the doctor to perform his duties properly,” added Njeru.

While appreciating the Government’s efforts in implementing uniform allowance for health workers, the Kudheiha boss decried the criteria being used by the Government to determine hardship areas.

The union said that allowances awarded to other public servants were not done equitably and wants the anomaly rectified immediately failure to which they would cripple operations in public health facilities.

The union also hit out at the two ministers for reluctance to pay the said allowances even after it signed an agreement with Kenya Health Professionals Society of Kenya last December.

It is barely two months since the union complained that the Government had neglected Kenyatta National Hospital workers forcing them to strike.

The union had cited inflation and high cost of fuel as reasons for the strike and advised patients to seek treatment in other health facilities until the Government resolved their grievances.