Kisumu health workers in fresh protests over delayed salaries

Knun Kisumu Branch Secretary Maurice Opetu addressing journalists at the Kisumu County headquarters on September 3, 2019, when they issued a seven-day strike notice over unremitted dues and salaries. The notice expires Wednesday. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP.

What you need to know:

  • Over 4000 health workers plan to down tools starting tomorrow over delayed salaries.
  • The Kenya National Union of Nurses’ Branch Secretary Mr Maurice Opetu lamented the breach of previous agreements between the health workers and the county government that has led to non-payment of workers from July.
  • The county had pointed fingers at the assembly for delay in passing the proposed budget which they claimed paralyzed activities in the county.

Kisumu County is staring at a health stalemate from Wednesday as over 4000 health workers plan to down tools over delayed salaries.

This comes after the nurses boycotted work for three weeks in August with a handful resuming work after half the salaries of July was released in late August.

The Kenya National Union of Nurses’ Branch Secretary Maurice Opetu lamented the breach of previous agreements between the health workers and the county government that has led to non-payment of workers from July.

“The strike will be on tomorrow (Wednesday) because we have not gotten a clear communication from the executive, until our claims of remuneration and promotion of health workers is met, we will keep off work,” said Mr Opetu.

The strike experienced last month in the county was as a result of the executive and the assembly blaming each other on the delayed release of salaries.

BLAME GAME

The county had pointed fingers at the assembly for the delay in passing the proposed budget which they claimed paralysed activities in Kisumu.

But Speaker Onyango Oloo dismissed the allegations stating that the county was malicious for not remitting May and June salaries to some of the workers.

The County Director of Communications Aloice Ager declined to respond to the issue, claiming a response would sabotage the ongoing talks between the executive and the workers’ union.

“It is true we received the strike notice and we have ongoing meetings between the stakeholders concerning the issue and hope the meetings will yield something,” said Mr Ager.