SRC dismisses striking health workers’ push for pay rise

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has dismissed the health workers’ push for an increment in risk allowance, siding with governors who had termed the demand for higher pay as unaffordable.

In an advisory to the Council of Governors (CoG), the SRC said the allowances will be unaffordable.

“As provided for in the revised guidelines on Collective Bargaining Agreement in public service, affordability is one of the key considerations by the commission when determining parameters for collective bargaining negotiations. Counties have indicated unavailability of resources to cater for the resultant review of the CBA item as proposed by trade unions,” SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich said in a letter to CoG dated December 10.

Currently, doctors are earning a Sh20, 000 risk allowance per month, nurses Sh3, 850 per month, clinical officers Sh3, 000, and other officers Sh2, 000. SRC wants these rates maintained.

Striking clinical officers and nurses wanted their rates increased to Sh30, 000 per month.

“In this regard, the SRC advises that the county public service boards negotiate with the respective trade unions with view of retaining the current rates of risk allowance up to the end of the current review cycle. Any proposals to the SRC should take into account affordability and will also be subjected to pay determination principles,” Ms Mengich said.

This came even as governors insisted that they had addressed most of the concerns raised by the medics.

In a letter to Labour PS Peter Tum, CoG CEO Jacqueline Mogeni disputed reports that some counties did not have medical cover for their staff, saying that while only 19 were covered under the National Hospital Insurance Fund, the other 28 had their own comprehensive medical covers from private providers.

Address their grievances

On the designation of hospitals for health workers and their families who contract Covid-19 in the line of duty, the council said such arrangements had been made in all the 47 counties, urging unions to reach out to county health departments on the same.

Last week, CoG Chairman Wycliffe Oparanya told the medics who are on strike to quickly resolve the issues with the concerned counties.

He thanked health workers in 22 counties who he said had continued to work as they address their grievances with the respective administrations.

“Most of the issues raised by the union are specific to certain counties and, therefore, not all. We urge the union to resolve the issues with the concerned counties,” Mr Oparanya said last Thursday.

He said the four issues that cut across counties, and are were being addressed by a multi-agency committee headed by Labour CS are conversion of all contractual employment to permanent and pensionable terms, enhancement of risk allowance, declaration of Covid-19 as an occupational work hazard and the establishment of a Health Service Commission.

The governor noted that counties are owed Sh60 billion in monthly disbursements for October, November and December, adding that even then, all but two counties had paid salaries.

“The lives of all Kenyans mater and we can be able to pull through this pandemic together and save many lives. But we cannot do this with threats and bravado,” Mr Oparanya said. 

In the letter by Ms Mogeni, CoG cited the late disbursements of funds for late payment of salaries, a scenario she said had forced counties to take bank overdrafts.