The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
Related Articles
Healthcare professionals in Homa Bay are poised to go on strike if the County Government does not address longstanding issues affecting them. Despite presenting their concerns to the employer, healthcare workers have not seen any action, prompting them to issue a 7-day ultimatum before initiating a work stoppage.
Key grievances include salary delays, non-confirmation of employment, sudden removal of members from the payroll without notice, and job stagnation, among other critical concerns.
The healthcare workers and union representatives represent various cadres within the county health department, encompassing the Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), Kenya Union of Nutritionists and Dieticians (KUND), Kenya National Union for Medical Laboratory Officers (KNULO), Union of Health Records, and Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) representing doctors.
Unionists, led by KNUN branch Secretary Emerdick Otieno, emphasized that some healthcare workers were inexplicably removed from the payroll in August of the previous year without prior notice and have yet to be reinstated into the system.
Otieno demanded their immediate reinstatement, stressing that the notice to stop their salaries came in August, violating labor laws. He also urged the county government to clear arrears for the months when employees went without their salaries.
Furthermore, the unionists expressed concerns about healthcare workers stagnating in one job group for nearly a decade, calling on the County Government to adhere to Human Resource guidelines and promptly promote those who have been in the same job group for over three years.
KMPDU County Liaison Officer Dr. Ochieng Otana highlighted dissatisfaction with the handling of Human Resource issues within the health department, citing chronic salary delays and the lack of confirmation for some members, leading to missed benefits.
Otana emphasized that these issues not only impact morale but also service delivery and called for a swift and satisfactory resolution. He warned that if a resolution is not reached, healthcare workers may be compelled to go on strike until their demands are met.”
