Mombasa County health workers issue strike notice

Mombasa County health workers in public hospitals will go on strike starting next week should the county government fail to address their grievances.

Health workers through their various unions issued a strike notice over perennial salary delays and non-remittance of statutory deductions.

A notice on work stoppage issued on Monday was addressed to top county officials including Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, Ag County Secretary Joab Tumbo, Executive Committee Member for Finance and Economic Planning Maryam Mbaruk and Executive Committee Member for Health Geoffrey Nato.

“The health workers union hereby issue a 7-day notice of a strike that will lapse on 6^th March 2022 unless the county government pays the January and February salaries and all arrears on statutory deductions,” reads the alert by union officials.

Among those who signed the strike, notice is Mombasa branch secretaries of Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Nassir Shaban, Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) Frankline Makanga, Kenya Health Professional Society (KHPS)  Ben Katana and Kenya Union of Nurses (KNUN) Emily Mursoi.

According to the workers representatives, the county has not paid the January 2022 salaries despite receiving their equitable share for the month from the National Treasury.

In a memo addressed to all chief officers dated February 11, 2022, the Ag County Secretary and Head of Public Services Joab Tumbo promised that the county government will pay January salaries by February 18, 2020.

The unions accused the county of persistently ignoring the issues raised particularly on perennial salary delays and non-remittance of statutory deductions including National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) and bank loans.

However, the unions said the county government can avert the strike if it will engage them in constructive dialogue to address their grievances.

Nurses and other health workers issued a similar notice towards the end of last year when the county government failed to pay the November and December salaries.

But the strike was called off at the last minute after successful negotiations with the County government.