Doctors in Nairobi in ‘secret strike’ over delayed salaries
Doctors in Nairobi have downed their tools to protest against non-payment of their salary for the last six months.
The Doctors whose strike is in a hushed protest as they fear intimidation was leaked by the secretary general of the doctors’ union, Dr Ouma Olunga, during the health summit held at the State House.
Dr Olunga told the Nation that apart from salary arrears, the workers are also expressed displeasure over delayed promotions, and that the doctor’s NHIF deductions had not been remitted over the last eight months.
“We are a public service club. Doctors in Nairobi haven’t been paid in six months, promotions not done and the doctors NHIF deduction not remitted for eight months,” said Dr Olunga.
The Nairobi branch Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union Thuranira Kaugiria said on phone said that the strike started on Sunday midnight after the county failed to implement the MOU signed in October 2015 following the county wide strike.
He said that the county and the doctors signed a return to work formula that was never implemented to date.
“Last year in October we were on strike and we signed a return to work agreement which was to be implemented the next month to date the county just kept quiet,”said Thuranira.
SECRET STRIKE
He added that they want doctors who are on probation to be employed permanently. He said that there are over 128 doctors who are yet to be promoted since 2011.
“The County has been paying the salaries for the previous month the next month after the 10th. We will not allow that to continue,” he said
Thuranira added that they had involved the county on talks but failed to reach an agreement hence the strike.
He added that the county was not prioritizing the issue as they are currently in Mombasa with the County Assembly implementation committee.
Speaking on phone, the Nairobi County Assembly health committee chairman Manoah Mboku said that the doctors had started a secret strike after the county failed to honor a memorandum of understanding they had entered with it.
Mr Manoah said that they harmonization of salary was supposed to implemented by now but the county remain mum.
Mr Manoah said that if the strike is not handled it will spread to the nurses who are threatening to down their tools. The Nairobi County Executive Health Bernard Muia said they will release a statement on Wednesday.