The planned operation that was scheduled to start on April 7, 2023 was temporarily blocked by a court on Thursday, dealing a blow to Kisumu’s medical staff.
Nurses, clinical officers, medical laboratory technologists, and pharmaceutical technologists are among the health professionals. The county government had previously filed a lawsuit to have the scheduled exercise stopped.
The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) is identified as the first respondent in the court filings, followed by the Kenya National Union of Medical Laboratory Officers (KNUMLO), the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO), and the Kenya National Union of Pharmaceutical Technologists (KNUPT).
In order to receive direction, the matter was brought before Lady Justice Jemimah Keli under a certificate of urgency.
According to the court judgment, “temporary injunction is granted and hereby issued prohibiting the respondents and their members inside Kisumu county from embarking on strike pursuant to a notice dated April 31.”
On April 13, 2023, the interparty application will be heard. The health workers union officials were requesting on April 31 that all accrued statutory deductions and other deductibles owed to various institutions, as well as the payment of February and March salaries, be made before In this year, April 7.
They claimed that they have made an effort to keep a friendly working relationship with the county government in their capacity as representatives of the healthcare professionals. Nonetheless, they claimed that the county administration had consistently fallen short of defending and upholding the members’ constitutional rights to prompt and fair compensation.
According to the union representatives, healthcare workers have experienced ongoing wage delays as well as a delay in the payment of required deductions such the National Health Insurance Fund and PAYE.
Helb loans, bank loans, insurance payments, and other expenses are also deducted. The officials claimed that healthcare personnel are currently experiencing immeasurable agony because their paychecks due in February 2023 and March 2023 have not been paid.
“Members are in a mental, physical, and psychological state to give services,” the statement said. “Without money to pay rent, buy food, commute to duty station, pay school fees, among other daily sustenance, such as service providers,” it added.
Failing to [meet these expectations] will result in our members ceasing operations at precisely 1200 hours on April 7, 2023, at midnight. They expressed their desire that institutions would respond quickly to their requests so as to prevent service interruptions.