Kisumu county health workers began staying home on Thursday after their unions ordered sit-ins until their salary arrears are paid.
A joint committee of the health workers unions said they ordered members to stage sit-ins because the county government had failed to honour an agreement to pay monies owed by Wednesday. But because of Covid-19 regulations, the workers cannot stage sit-ins at their workstations.
The workers are represented by the Kenya National Union of Clinical Officers, Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN), Kenya National Medical Laboratory Officers, the Union of Kenya Civil Servants and KNUPT.
Maurice Opetu, KNUN branch secretary, said health workers were at home and did not report for duties. Opetu said only departmental heads went to work for administrative duties.
He said they will keep off work until the county pays all the pending salaries.
“If they knew they were not going to pay as per their commitment deadline, as a good manager we expected that they could even write another letter stating the reasons for the delay and when we will get our salaries, but they have not bothered to do this,” he said.
Some have not been paid their salaries for the past three months and others up to six months.
In a statement, the joint committee said medics had been working with erratic and inconsistent supply of PPE by the employer.
They said persistent follow up by the health workers unions and a written commitment by the Kisumu county government had been ignored by the employer.
County secretary Godfrey Kigochi in an August 12 letter addressed to county chief officers, the director governance and administration, city manager, county attorney and the unions said all July salaries would be paid in a week.
“Pursuant to consultation with the CEC finance on payment of salaries for the month of July 2020 and subsequent confirmation of disbursement of funds by the National Treasury to the county government of Kisumu. I wish to inform you that the said salaries will be effected on or before Wednesday 19th,” reads the letter.
The letter further stated, “Note that this was occasioned by the National Treasury delay disbursement of funds to the Kisumu county government.”
The letter was copied to the governor and all the county executive members.