The Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmaceuticals and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has threatened to down their tools once again if the government does not play ball and pay intern doctors the amount agreed in their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
In a statement on November 9, the KMPDU Secretary-General announced that if the government does not budge from their proposed Ksh47,000 to Ksh70,000 pay for intern doctors, they would withdraw their skills until the ministry adhered to their CBA agreement.
“We must all be ready to take action. When all other avenues do not work, then the power of workers is in withholding their skills. The cornerstone of negotiations and dialogues is in the demonstrations, sit-ins, and strikes as envisioned by the industrial court,” part of the statement read.
This statement followed a three-hour meeting on Thursday, November 7, with the Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, that concluded in a deadlock with the government failing to barge on their Ksh47,000 to Ksh70,000 gross pay.
“The engagement was more progressive, and more meetings were scheduled for next week. We shall communicate when we have a concrete outcome,” the statement by the KMPDU Secretary General read.
The union announced that subsequent meetings would be held to discuss the matter further, and they will continue engaging the ministry for the next 45 days ending on November 30, since the judgement in October.
“We shall negotiate for 45 days in the boardroom, when necessary, we shall begin to negotiate on the streets and finally we shall negotiate at home,” the statement read.
He added, "Negotiations are currently ongoing in the boardrooms, but it is not unknown to the courts and the government that negotiations are not limited to the boardrooms."
Noting that internships are a litmus test for bigger problems later in the profession, the union announced that all doctors in all sectors including NGOs, FBOs, private sector, and public sectors needed to band together to ensure their voices are heard.
“We must all unite, all the voices count. Professional associations and societies, the time is now. From judgement in October 2024, 45 days ends on 30th November 2024 at our SDC. We shall overcome, We are stronger together.”
This pronouncement comes just after the principal Secretary for Public Health Mary Muthoni announced that the government would finally be clearing salary arrears for medical interns, providing much-needed relief to hundreds of doctors who have gone unpaid despite gruelling work schedules after the government released Ksh1.75 billion earmarked for the salaries.
"We have a budget for intern doctors this year, and we are processing their payments to resolve any delays. Those who have been working for months without salaries will be paid so that we can move away from that,” she stated on Friday.
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