Health workers issue strike notice

Health workers on Monday vowed to down their tools next month if the government does not pay their allowance as agreed last year.

Nurses, clinical officers, mortuary attendants and other health workers, under the umbrella of the Kenya Health Professionals Society (KHPS), said they would boycott work if the first phase of the Sh30,000 risk allowance they negotiated with the government last year was not paid by March 1.

The money was to be paid in two phases— the first Sh15,000 in January and the other in July, 2012.

Society’s chairman Duncan Mathenge said they would resort to industrial action because they were promised the allowances would be implemented within the 100 day rapid result plan. The period will expire on February 29.

“If allowances are not paid by February 29 the health workers will withdraw their services until we are paid the agreed sum. We also agreed to continue negotiations and a committee formed but it has never sat.

‘‘We shall not end the strike until that committee sits as well,” Mr Mathenge said after meeting the union representatives at the Nyeri Provincial General Hospital.

Other members of the society met at nine other major hospitals in Mombasa, Kisumu, Kisii, Nakuru, Garissa, Kakamega and Eldoret.

Their threat came as the government dismissed a strike threat by nurses over extraneous allowances.

Chief nursing officer Chris Rakuom said the nurses were paid Sh7,500 extraneous allowance which was backdated to December.

He said a similar amount is also expected to be paid in July.

“As the chief nursing officer, I’m against this strike since the nurses have been paid the allowance which they had requested through their association,” Mr Rakuom told the Nation.

Allowances that the workers are demanding include extraneous allowance, risk allowance, internship allowance and house allowance which were to be paid in phases.

Kenya Oral Health Association chairman Henry Simiyu said the January payslips of some workers reflected the risk allowance, with the highest at Sh10,000.

Others got Sh3,500 while the majority did not get any.

“In January there was a gross discrepancy, with some being paid less than what was agreed and others getting nothing. We have raised the issue in subsequent meetings, and the ministry has said that they are carrying out an audit and will rectify the anomaly. What we want is the issue ironed out before March 1,” he said.

Mr Mathenge faulted Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o for “neglecting his role at the ministry at the expense of politics”.

Mr Rakuom said that Prof Nyong’o would issue a statement on the strike before the end of the week.