Mombasa nurses threaten to strike over salary, allowance
Monica Kagia
Hundreds of nurses in Mombasa have threatened to down tools should the County government fail to pay their Covid-19 risk allowances and May salaries within a week.
Kenya National Union of Nurses (Knun) Mombasa branch secretary Peter Maroko said Governor Hassan Joho’s administration is yet to pay nurses their May salaries and had also declined to pay their risk allowances.
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“We are not motivated to work at all, we have not been paid our May salaries and to make it worse, we have not been paid the Covid-19 allowances which should be considered as urgent by the county government of Mombasa,” said Maroko.
He warned that the spread of Covid-19 will increase in the county if the medical practitioners down their tools because they are the team used to help with contact tracing.
The union’s branch Trustee Stanley Mwailogho said they are tired of being exploited by the county government and accused it of reportedly failing to communicate with them on the issue.
Mwailogho said health workers work hard every day even without their pay but they feel demotivated as the county is not appreciating them.
Feeling neglected
“We have been neglected, it is also a shame that we the people on the forefront to fight Coronavirus and also taking care of the same patient, are not being motivated to work,” he said.
Knun Mombasa branch chairperson Miriam Mbithe added that they are ready to go on strike saying it is the only language that Mombasa county government understands.
“We have only seven days before we go on strike, our salaries have been delayed, issues of promotions have been ignored and risk allowances have not been paid, we are tired and have no morale to work, we have debts, commuting to work is also hectic for us, we believe that a strike is the only language,” she added.
