Heath workers' strike looms in Nakuru over 3-month salaries

Contracted health workers await deployment at the Nakuru County Government headquarters in this file photo taken on December 7, 2016. They have threatened to go on strike over unpaid salaries. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The health workers have given the county government up to Friday to pay their three months salaries.

  • Failure to which, they have threatened to withdraw their services.

  • They claim that despite holding talks with the county government, they haven’t received payment for three months.

Nakuru County has up to Friday to pay its contracted health workers who claim they are yet to receive salaries for three months.

The 188 health workers in various cadres claim that despite holding talks with the county government, they have not received any payment.

EMPTY PROMISES

“We are yet to receive our payment for July, August and September and yet we have been working,” Ms Emmerveline Ondaro, the chairperson of the contracted staff, told the Nation on Wednesday.

The health workers said the promises by the county government to address their grievances have turned out to be empty.

“We have given the county government up to Friday to pay us our three month salaries, failure to which we shall withdraw our services,” added Ms Ondaro.

The health workers work in various hospitals within the county.

The staff claimed they renewed their contracts a week ago after pushing for better package for months with no success.

BETTER PACKAGE

“A week ago, we signed a contract that will see us in work for two years but what pains us most is there is a group hired in August and they have come with a better package than us and yet we have been serving since 2016,” she added.

Another health worker told the Nation that the newly contracted health workers are already in a job group while those contracted in 2016 belong to none.

“When you compare the terms of their contract with the 2016 group, you will realise it is unfair. Their net salary is much higher because they are entitled to a number of allowances that we do not have,” said the health worker.

PROLONGED STRIKE

The 2016 group earns Sh50,200 while the latest group earns Sh74,084.

The county government under former Governor Kinuthia Mbugua hired more than 200 health workers during 100-day strike that saw patients suffer as scores died.