Nurses’ strike looms in call for new terms
Nurses listen to Governor Joho at Coast General Hospital on August 19, 2014, following their strike over unpaid salaries. Another health crisis is looming in Mombasa after health workers under the Economic Stimulus Programme threatened to boycott duties. FILE PHOTO
What you need to know:
- Speaking outside the assembly, the 123 employees working on contract in health centres and dispensaries, warned of disruption of services if their grievances were not addressed.
- The nurses claimed, according to a letter from the Ministry of Health dated August 7 and addressed to all county secretaries, ESP staff are “supposed to be absorbed by the county governments because they are now performing devolved functions in your counties.”
Another health crisis is looming in Mombasa after health workers under the Economic Stimulus Programme threatened to boycott duties.
They said they would down their tools, accusing the county government of failing to grant them permanent and pensionable terms.
The medical workers added that they had not been paid for three months and threatened to take legal action against their employer for contravening the Constitution and their rights.
“We have been camping outside the county assembly buildings since 8am so that the officials can address us on our salary issues and employment, but no one has talked us,” said Ms Josephine Ng’ang’a, the ESP health workers representative.
DISRUPTION OF SERVICES
Speaking outside the assembly, the 123 employees working on contract in health centres and dispensaries, warned of disruption of services if their grievances were not addressed.
The nurses claimed, according to a letter from the Ministry of Health dated August 7 and addressed to all county secretaries, ESP staff are “supposed to be absorbed by the county governments because they are now performing devolved functions in your counties.”
The letter in reference to another dated January 24 and addressed to governors, informed them that upon expiry of contract periods of ESP staff, “they should be absorbed into the regular establishment on permanent and pensionable terms of service.”
“You are requested to absorb them into the service through your respective County Public Service boards as it used to be done by the Public Service Commission,” said the letter by Prof Fred Segor, the Principal Secretary of Health.
However, director of communication in the Governor’s Press Service Unit Esther Ingolo said the contract issue was addressed in the last strike, but she declined to comment on the salary grievances.
