More than 3200 healthcare workers in Homa Bay threatened to down their tools should the county government fail to address their delayed salaries.
The medics have complained of the inability to get their salaries on time among other grievances.
The medics hail from different cadres such as the Kenya Union of Nurses (KNUN), Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) and Kenya Union of Nutritionists and Dietitians (KUNAD), Kenya National Union of Laboratory Technologists and Kenya Union of Health Records.
The KMDU Liaison Officer Ocheing Otana, KNUN Secretary Emerdick Otieno, and KUCO Treasurer Felix Ouko want the county government to address their grievance within seven days to thwart their imminent strike.
The unionists said they will down their tools in seven days if their grievances are not addressed.
Otana said their delayed salaries had made life difficult for them to operate and earn livelihoods. They called for prompt payment.
“Delayed salaries are becoming a trend. Medics have not been paid yet the government expects service delivery,” Otana said.
Speaking to journalists on Saturday morning, Otieno said the county government should reinstate at least 45 of their colleagues who were allegedly removed from payroll erroneously in August last year.
“There are healthcare workers who were removed from the payroll erroneously. We want them reinstated as soon as possible,” Otieno said.
Ouko complained that a number of their colleagues had not been promoted despite serving at various job groups for a long.
“There are some of us who have also improved their education levels but they are still serving in the same job groups,” Ouko said.
He said they have notified the Department of Health about their plan to down tools.
“We are giving the county government one week to address the issues. Failure to which we will strike,” Ouko said.
Health Chief Officer Kevin Osuri, however, appealed to the workers to be patient and promised that their grievances will be addressed soon.
Osuri said the salary issue had been caused by delay in receiving funds from the National Treasury.
“Many employees haven’t been paid their December salary due to delay by the National treasury to remit funds to us. But we want them to be patient because they are going to be paid soon, “Osuri said.
He said the suspended workers will be reinstated upon verification of their employment documents.
“The workers were told to bring their documents. Once the documents are proven authentic, they will be reinstated,” Osuri said.
The Chief Officer said they are working on promotion of the workers.
“A task force handling the promotions will sit after approval of the second supplementary budget to address the promotion issues,” Osuri added.
