KMPDU Threatens To Strike If SRC Reduces Medics’ Allowances

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission has been advised by the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU) not to change their allowances.

They claimed that if SRC continued to meddle with members’ allowances, they might proceed with their already planned walkout. The state and the union reached an agreement two weeks ago to halt the widespread walkout. They stated during a news conference held on Saturday in Naivasha that the SRC intended to stop paying certain of their members’ allowances. According to Dr. Davji Atellah, secretary general of the KMPDU, they will not tolerate such illegal behavior.

The non-practice allowance, he explained, “is an incentive and compensation to officers for the loss of wages they sacrifice when actively practicing in the medical facilities. This is the logic behind incorporating the same in our CBA as a negotiable issue.” According to him, the allowances they receive are specified in their employment agreements, and eliminating them would make the medical community less motivated.

“The health sector will suffer greatly,” he said.

Atellah said that it was unconstitutional for the SRC to provide employers new instructions regarding the removal of doctors’ contractual earnings and compensation without first consulting them. KMPDU Chair Abidan Mwachi stated that SRC wanted to cut their pay in half, but they would not allow it.

“Doctors labor in challenging environments, thus we have a right to receive these benefits. We won’t watch helplessly as they do this, he declared. He claimed they were willing to abandon the agreement they had reached with the government to stop the strike.