HOMA BAY: Healthcare workers in Homa Bay County have issued a seven-day ultimatum to their employer, the County Government, threatening to go on strike if various unresolved issues affecting them are not addressed. The announcement comes amidst growing frustrations among the healthcare staff over several longstanding concerns.
According to Kenya News Agency, the grievances that need urgent resolution include chronic salary delays, non-confirmation of employment, unnotified withdrawal of some members from the payroll, and long-term stagnation in job groups. The affected workers are affiliated with various unions within the county health department, including the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), Kenya Union of Nutritionists and Dieticians (KUND), Kenya National Union for Medical Laboratory Officers (KNULO), Union of Health Records, and Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU).
KNUN branch Secretary Emerdick Otieno, speaking on behalf of the unions on Saturday, highlighted the severity of the situation. He noted that some healthcare workers were abruptly removed from the payroll in August of the previous year without prior notice and have not been reinstated. Otieno criticized the county government’s actions as being contrary to labor laws and demanded the immediate reinstatement of the affected workers and clearance of their salary arrears.
Otieno also addressed the issue of stagnation in job groups, emphasizing the demoralizing impact it has on the healthcare workers’ ability to perform their duties effectively. He urged the County Government to adhere to Human Resource guidelines and promote those who have been in the same job group for over three years.
Dr. Ochieng Otana, KMPDU County Liaison Officer, echoed these sentiments, expressing dissatisfaction with the management of Human Resource issues within the health department, particularly concerning chronic salary delays. Otana pointed out that some employees have yet to receive confirmation of their employment, resulting in them missing out on certain benefits.
The unionists stressed that these unresolved issues not only affect the morale of the healthcare workers but also the quality of service delivery to the public. They have called for an urgent and satisfactory resolution from the County Government. “If we do not get a satisfactory resolution, we are going to call on our members to down their tools until our demands are met,” Otana stated, underlining the seriousness of their position.
