Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) health workers have gone on strike, following delayed pay increment by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC). The workers on Monday sung and danced outside the hospital, as they kept off work in the facility. The strike, bringing together different unions including KNUN, KMPDU, comes on the back of a seven day strike notice issued on 21st September.
The health workers have called out SRC for failing to implement a salary review, which has been in force since 2012. The salary structure hasn’t been effected, and according to them, the Chief Executive Officer has been receiving his reviewed pay. Money has also been released already by the Treasury and approved by Parliament to address the new salary structure. “We are sending a clear message to the SRC, their job was to bridge the gap between the high income earners with that of the low income earners but not to increase the salaries of the top managers and forget about those who work under them,” said National Nurses of Kenya Association chairperson Alfred Obenga when they issued the strike notice.
Kenya National Union of Nurses secretary general Seth Panyako has also criticized SRC, saying the Commission should write to KNH to advise on the issue of payment. He said SRC doesn’t want KNH to implement the salary review process. As the strike went on, a patient passed away on the parking lot, awaiting treatment.