City doctors boycott work over delayed salaries – PHOTOS
Doctors in Nairobi County held street demonstrations on Tuesday over unpaid salaries, worsening a healthcare crisis sparked by the nationwide nurses’ strike.
City doctors have vowed to hold daily demonstrations outside City Hall to demand payment of salaries for the duration of their 100-day strike called off on March 14
President Uhuru Kenyatta has already urged governor to pay doctors their withheld salaries.
The 268 doctors employed by City Hall held a peaceful demonstration from Public Service Club to City Hall.
Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Doctors Union (KMPDU) Nairobi branch official Thuranira Kaugiria said they are demanding arrears from December last year.
“I have been sending letters to the county but we have just got payslip with no money in the accounts. The county has decided to pay salaries erratically, some have been paid in May, others in April but the 100 days was never paid at all,” said Dr Thuranira.
He also cited that statutory deductions have not been remitted.
Dr Thuranira alleged that funds had been released by the national government but diverted for campaigns.
Nairobi county secretary Dr Ayisi, in a letter dated June15, 2017, told the union that the county will not pay withheld salaries forthe months on December, January and February 2017 since the doctors did not offer any services.
“An employer is not obliged to remunerate an employee for services that the employee does not render during a protected strike or lock out. This decision not to pay has been affirmed by the salaries and remuneration commission vide their advisory,” read the letter in part.
However Dr Ayisi said that county will pay back outstanding negotiated additional emergency call allowances and new medical risk allowances for the months of January and February 2017 together with the June salaries following a reimbursement by the national treasury.
Speaking to the doctors on Tuesday, City Hall’s top health official Bernard Muia said that only May salaries had been delayed due to unavoidable circumstances but will be sorted out.
Dr Muia told the doctors he could not comment on the unpaid monies for the 100-days strike as it was beyond his powers.