Members of the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers (KUCO) demonstrated on Monday demanding payment for Diploma interns who have gone for over one year without being paid.
The members marched from Uhuru park grounds to the Ministry of Health headquarters- Afya house offices- where they demanded for their cries to be heard.
Speaking during a press meeting, the KUCO Chairman, Peterson Wachira said that their counter parts are paid yet their diploma interns are not.
He said that it has been a long journey in that it has taken them two good years of push and pull since September 2017 where they have been in negotiation on the return to work agreement with no success.
“Whatever was written in the return to work agreement has not been implemented up to date. We started the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) negotiation since 2017 and employers decided no more negotiation,” Wachira said.
Wachira stated that they gave out a 14 day strike notice informing the government they had demands including concluding of the CBA signing and depositing it in court, scheme of service that was completed in 2017 and be ratified, all members were to be promoted or re-designated within 60 days.
The Kenya Union of Clinical Officers General Secretary, George Gibore said that they have been pushed to go on strike since the government has chosen not to implement what they had agreed since 2017.
“We are here to ensure those given the mandate to be in the office and to act as government use their power to ensure we get justice,” Gibore added.
The Clinical Officer Interns Chairman, Alexander Mungai said that the government has allocated money through the Ministry of Finance for the payment of Clinical Officers Interns this year and so far they haven’t been paid.
“Unless we are paid we are not going to work,” Mungai added.
By Judy Wasonga/Collins Juma
