Omamo acts to avert strike over NHIF rates

Acting Labour Cabinet Secretary Raychelle Omamo will today meet Trade Unions Congress of Kenya (TUC-Ke) officials in a bid to forestall a planned strike over the new National Hospital Insurance Fund rates.

TUC-Ke executive director Njeru Kanyamba told the Nation the union had received an invitation to the meeting to discuss the matter.

“The government has been playing hide-and-seek games with us since we issued a seven-day strike notice on June 19, which expires tomorrow (Tuesday) midnight. Therefore, this meeting is an opportune chance for her to avert the strike,” he said.

On June 19, the union’s General-Secretary Wilson Sossion wrote to Ms Omamo, accusing the government of making a unilateral decision to levy new rates to the more than 600,000 civil servants.

“The fund has continued to deduct the new rates, regardless of protests and positions taken by the union against lack of consultations preceding the said gazettement,” says the letter in part.

TUC-Ke Deputy General-Secretary Charles Mukhwaya called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to intervene, to avert a public service strike.

Flanked by the Dock Workers Union (DWU) General-Secretary Simon Sang and TUC-Ke Chairman Tom Odege, Dr Mukhwaya warned last weekend that public services would be paralysed if the matter is not resolved.

“It President Kenyatta’s government ignores our pleas for dialogue, then it will have itself to blame for what will happen,” he said.

Dr Mukhwaya gave three demands the union wants addressed: revocation of the Legal Gazette Notice of February 6; stoppage of further deductions of the new NHIF rates and refund of the already deducted money.

He asked the about 5,000 DWU members to support TUC-Ke by withdrawing their labour.