Kenya Union of Medical Laboratory Officers say they won’t resume duty until the government enlists the Universal Health Coverage staff who are currently on contract to permanent and pensionable terms.
Addressing the press on Friday in Bungoma town, Stephen Wafula, the branch secretary, cited unemployment of UHC staff in their department as one of the reasons why they are on strike.
He claims there are those who have worked for for than six months without pay.
“The government is failing us because someone cannot work without pay yet he/she has a family to take care of,” Wafula said.
“UHC staff who were brought on board during Covid-19 to beef up the deficit in the human resource but the biggest challenge is that they are given a one-year contract and sometimes work for a very long time without pay.”
The officials want the union to be recognised at the national level.
This comes even as patients seeking laboratory services in public health facilities in Bungoma county remain stranded.
“At the branch level, we have a recognition agreement with our employer which is the county government of Bungoma. However, the challenge is that some of the issues cannot be addressed by the county government,” the unionist said.
Wafula underscored the need for the Ministry of Health to have a recognition agreement with KNUMLO.
He claimed that medical laboratory officers have been sidelined when it comes to decision-making.
The unionist called on the government to set aside a budget and include those on contracts and permanent and pensionable terms.
The union is demanding risk allowance, arguing that its officers are exposed to risk while on duty.
“We are demanding that the Ministry of Health and Public Service Commission to communicate with the Salary and Remuneration Commission so that it can make a directive to start paying the officers who are not getting the risk allowance,” he said.
His sentiments are echoed by Austine Wamalwa, the KNUMLO branch chairman who said that the laboratory officers are the mouthpiece of the Health ministry.
“Diagnosis is our responsibility, ranging from simple tests like pregnancy, to complex ones like tumour markers for cancer purposes,” he said.
