- The nurses union says all counties have not paid July salaries
- The strike is expected to go no until the money is released
Nurses in Busia have begun a go-slow to demand their July salary.
Kenya National Union of Nurses Busia secretary general Isaiah Omondi told the Star on Monday that their members will not report on duty until the county government pays their dues.
“We are demanding for salary payment. We are demanding for an explanation on why our salaries have not been paid,” Omondi said on the phone.
Nurses who will report to their respective work stations, he said, will be on a go-slow as they wait for their money in their accounts.
Omondi, however, said Knun leadership in Busia is ready to negotiate with the county.
Omondi and other Knun leaders were on Monday expected to meet officials from the Health department to solve the impasse.
The go-slow will disrupt operations in public health institutions less than two months after health workers in the border county went on strike agitating for promotions, among other demands.
The strike started six days after Knun national secretary general Seth Panyako wrote to secretaries of county public service boards expressing disappointment at what he described as “perennial failure to pay salary and third party deductions for her members and other health workers”.
Panyako in the letter seen by the Star directed the leadership of Knun in all the 47 counties to demand the payment of May, June and July salaries, "lest the health practitioners down their tools and stop work".
“Some counties have not paid salary for May and June contrary to the Employment Act No. 11 of 2017 Section 18 (2), while all have not paid for July and a few that have discriminatory paid have used overdraft,” reads the letter dated August 4.
“The union advises all her branch officials to lead members in taking part in a salary parade from August 10, 2020, at 8:00am and the same shall continue until implementation is fully implemented.”
The health workers’ June 29 strike lasted for two days after the county agreed to promote more than 200 health workers.
The promotion of 291 workers was among the demands the health practitioners wanted the county government to meet.
Among the contentious issues that remained pending after the suspension of the June strike was the payment of the Covid-19 allowances, which the unionist said had not been effected despite the government releasing the money.
Edited by EKibii