A dispute between management staff and unionised employees at the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) over alleged salary discrepancies has landed in court.
In their court documents filed before the Milimani Law Courts, Gwaragwara Nkosi and Khadija Ali alleged that raising salaries for unionised staffs has caused payment disparities in that management staffs are earning less than the employees they are supervising.
The structure of NHIF includes individuals on contract, such as HF14 and HF15, who hold positions of CEOs and Directors, while the remaining staff (HF8-HF13) are currently on permanent and pensionable term of service.
The duo want the court to declare that the respondents have reportedly violated the rights of affected NHIF management staff by raising the salary of unionised NHIF employees without raising that of the management staff of NHIF.
Also sought is an order compelling Salaries and Remuneration Commission to produce the recommendtions of the NHIF board of increasing salaries of the entire NH-8 to NH-13 who are the non-unionized management staff.
The petitioners allege that the disparity amounts to a serious payroll audit query.
They add ‘the disparity of salaries has made growth from HF7 to HF8 impossible as one would earn less after promotion.
‘The Social Health Insurance Act provides that the first priority shall be given to NHIF staff to join the social health authority and if the conditions the management staff are facing are not resolved, the salary disparity will also transition to SHA and even cause management problems," the petitioners said.
