Threats won’t work, Health Workers tell County Government of Kisumu

 Members of the Kenya National Union of Nurses Kisumu Branch led by the Deputy Secretary General Maurice Opetu sing the Solidary song after addressing the press in Kisumu today-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo

June 17, 2020

Threats won’t work, Health Workers tell County Government of Kisumu 

 Health workers in Kisumu County have told the County Government of Kisumu that the constants threats they have been receiving as a result of their ongoing strike won’t work at all.

The health workers have told the County Government of Kisumu under Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o to immediately address the issues that has led them to go on strike instead of threatening them with sack.

Addressing the press in Kisumu today, the Kenya National Union of Nurses Deputy Secretary Maurice Opetu indeed confirmed that there a lot of threats coming on the way of the health workers which include being struck off from the payroll.

“Some of the health workers have been called and threatened that their names will be struck off from the payroll. Even some of the new employee who were recently employed have been threatened with sacking,” Opetu says.

Opetu who is also the Kisumu Branch Secretary of the Kenya National Union of Nurses says there is need for the County Government of Kisumu to settle and solve the issues at hand as been presented by the health workers.

He says the County Government of Kisumu should be able to explain about sh 250 million that was approved in this financial year budget of 2019/2020 to implement the issue of staff promotion and implementation of Collective Bargaining Agreement of the health workers.

The Nurses also claim that another shs 31 million was approved in a supplementary budget in December last year so as to help in completing the issue promotions, adding that another funding of shs 38 million was passed February this year during a supplementary budget.

Opetu says no Nurse will go back to the work station until the issues they want are fully addressed, adding that their strike is very much on until all the issues are fully addressed.

The Health workers sentiments comes barely a few days after Kisumu Governor Prof Peter Anyang Nyong’o last week pleaded with the Health workers within the County not to go on strike.

Governor Nyong’o said the issues raised so far by the health workers in the county are being dealt with systematically.

He said so far there are four issues that the Health workers have raised that include Promotion, delayed salary, re-designation and Covid-19 allowances.

 Governor Nyong’o said on promotion, the County Government of Kisumu has promoted 1007 health workers that includes doctors, nurses, clinical officers who are now enjoying their new salaries from May 2020.

He added that the Uploading of the payroll is continuing to include those health workers who have been promoted, adding that promotion has been backdated from July 1, 2019.

 “This means there are arrears to be paid. These arrears have been included in the budget of 2020/2021 to be passed by June30th, 2020 and these arrears will be paid at once after the budget has been passed,” Nyong’o said.

Governor Nyong’o said the Committees of Health and Labour of the County Assembly of Kisumu called both the Union and the County Government to a meeting chaired by the Speaker to help resolve the dispute, if any existed at all.

“It was agreed that there was going to be a joint team of the Assembly and the workers union to ensure that the Executive Issues promotion letters to 144 health workers who were due for promotion but may have not received their letters  ensure that all promoted workers earn the new salaries as payroll is updated,” Nyong’o adds.

 Nyong’o added that all other grievances that the Union raised regarding the welfare of their members were fully addressed and agreed upon.

“I would like the health workers to join hands in delivering health care to our people at this very difficult time. It would be disastrous to our people to go on strike for issues which have either been solved or are rationally and systematically been mutually dealt with by all parties concerned,” Nyong’o further said.

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