Mombasa health workers won't return to work until demands met

 

Health workers in Mombasa county have said they will not return to work until their demands are met. 

Medics in Mombasa have been on strike for six weeks over salary delays and non-remittances of statutory deductions. They are also demanding Sh30,000 risk allowances.

Nurses and clinicians in other parts of the country started their strike three weeks ago. Doctors joined the strike Monday this week.

Kenya National Union of Nurses Mombasa branch secretary Peter Maroko said health officials have tried to have a dialogue with the county government but the issues they have raised have not been resolved.

“The county government has not paid our remittances for five months. The national government has money for BBI but not to cater to our needs. We are asking for little money which is less than what is budgeted for the BBI,” he said.

Maroko said their colleagues have died in the line of duty and the union will not allow members to return to work unless their demands are met.

“According to the law, we have all the right to demand our rights through the strike. We are going to wait until such a time when our voices will be heard even if it means staying home until March 2021,” he said.

Maroko said the strike was lawful, and they would keep on fighting for their rights.

The medics have also asked Governor Hassan Joho to engage them in a dialogue.

“We have not seen our governor anywhere, meaning he is on leave while the people who gave him votes lose their lives,” Maroko said. 

Health workers also want Health CS Mutahi Kagwe to stay away from county government issues.

Mombasa clinical officers secretary Frankline Makanga said they would join the national strike in solidarity with their colleagues.

Makanga said that in Mombasa, the number of Covid-19 positive cases is high, but they do not have PPE to protect themselves from contracting the virus.

“Since the inception of devolution, we have had so many issues in the Health ministry unlike the days when we were under the national government,” he said.