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Employees of Kenyatta National Hospital have threatened to go on strike next week if they are not paid their outstanding allowances.
At least 4,700 workers are expected to boycott duty from August 6 after the Government failed to pay their allowances as recommended by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission in March 2015.
In a letter to KNH dated July 16, 2018, a workers' union noted that the hospital cancelled a meeting slated for July 12, which was to offer a way forward.
“We are only saying that if there will be no money by August 5, then KNH employees will down their tools,” said Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational, Institutions and Hospital Workers Secretary General Albert Njeru.
He added: “Patients are not like any other customers. They need care. But we also need our money which was to be paid in 201.”
The allowances were to be paid in two phases of 60 and 40 per cent.
KNH management told the mediator appointed by Ministry of Labour that it was still looking for funds to pay the health workers' allowances amounting to Sh339.8 million. This was in additional Sh1.09 million for the first and second phase respectively.
The first phase was to be effected from January 2017 while the second from July 2017.
"Health service allowance is only payable to staff in the medical field,” read clarifications from SRC on payment of the allowances.
It added: “Employees in the support departments in the health sector do not qualify to be paid health workers service allowance.”
However, the mediator had a different opinion, insisting that since KNH handles extreme cases and needs response from every worker, all employees should be motivated at all times.
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