Tharaka-Nithi nurses threaten strike over salaries, promotions
Tharaka-Nithi nurses celebrate outside the Nyeri Law Courts on May 4, 2017, following an order for the county to pay them Sh25 million in outstanding salaries and allowances. PHOTO | JOSEPH WANGUI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- County Knun chair Fabian Marigu noted that the government had taken too long to pay them so they could not wait any longer.
- Marigu said they want their 2017 nursing service allowances, promotions and salary arrears.
- The union also wants Governor Muthomi Njuki's administration to pay nurses hired on contract.
Nurses in Tharaka-Nithi County on Friday threatened to if they are not paid leave and uniform allowances within 21 days.
Fabian Marigu, chairman of the county's chapter of the Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun), noted that the government had taken too long to pay them so they could not wait any longer.
DEMANDS
Mr Marigu said they also want their 2017 nursing service allowances, promotions and salary arrears.
"We have given our employer 21days to pay us for the 2017 annual leave and our 2018 annual uniform allowances, failure of which we will boycott duty because it seems we are being fooled," he said.
The officials said the promotions were to be effected two years ago.
He accused their employer of refusing to promote or re-designate deserving officers.
The union also wants Governor Muthomi Njuki's administration to pay nurses hired on contract.
OTHER CASES
Nurses in Kitui County have also threatened to strike over unpaid salaries for December 2018.
On Friday, they issued Governor Charity Ngilu's administration a seven-day notice.
The announcement was by Francis Kimanzi, the Kitui branch secretary of the Kenya National Union of Nurses.
Nurses in Nairobi threatened industrial action last November over lack of promotions, improper transfers and failure to fully implement a return-to-work formula signed on November 2, 2017.
In 2017, nurses did not work for five months because of the non-payment of allowances.
They returned to work after the government and the Council of Governors signed a deal with their union - the three parties agreed to have the nurses’ uniform and the risk allowances paid in the next financial year.
It was agreed that the over 20,000 nurses would receive an initial uniform allowance of Sh15,000, which would be increased by Sh5,000 each financial year. This allowance was increased from the Sh10,000 they had been receiving.
