•This comes as KMPDU secretary general Chibanzi Mwachonda called off the strike on Wednesday as per court order.
•"The struggle continues, it's just that we are changing tack," Mwachonda said
Image: ANDREW KASUKU
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission has said that it should not be blamed for the strike - which the court has since suspended - at the Kenyatta National Hospital.
In a statement on Wednesday, the commission said that it undertook a job evaluation and determined the relative worth of jobs at KNH in 2017.
According to the commission, the industrial action at KNH was as a result of demands for pay increase outside the commission’s advice.
The commission said that members of staff at KNH have already benefited from salary increases for the remuneration review cycle 2017/18 to 2020/21.
“The Commission advised KNH on the resultant job evaluation-based salary structure, which KNH has been implementing since 2017, with the last phase implemented with effect from 1 July 2020,” SRC said.
SRC has however said that it will re-evaluate jobs at KNH in order to address any emerging issues, and upon completion of this exercise, the commission will issue its advisory.
This comes as KMPDU secretary general Chibanzi Mwachonda called off the strike on Wednesday as per court order.
Mwachonda has however said that the strike will resume if their grievances are not addresseed.
"The struggle continues, it's just that we are changing tack," Mwachonda said.
The remuneration body said that KNH management has been in discussion with the relevant trade unions for additional pay, over and above what has been advised by the commission.
“The Commission advised KNH to retain the job evaluation salary structure on the basis that institutional re-categorisation is not a basis for change in the relative worth of jobs if the jobs have not significantly changed.”
The KNH management has insisted that only the SRC can unlock the stalemate.
KNUN secretary general Seth Panyako on Wednesday said workers resorted to strike because the SRC had decided to behave "like it is the only institutional body in the country".
"The money we are talking about has been approved and there is no going back. We want the SRC to give a letter advising KNH on payment. Thereafter, the strike will be called off," he said.
According to him, the problem is that the SRC does not want Kenyatta Hospital to implement the salary review.
On Tuesday, the Employment and Labour Relations Court suspended the strike pending the hearing of a case filed by the hospital.
This is after KNH's application was certified as urgent and the hearing date set for October 6.
KNH workers had gone on strike, accusing the hospital of failing to effect salary increments.