By AishaIman Ahmed
GARISSA– The House leadership and committee chairpersons led by Speaker Hon. Abdi Idle Gure held a sit-down meeting with representatives of healthcare workers’ union—who earlier this morning peacefully picketed within the Assembly grounds and presented a grievance memorandum.
The agitated group decried a number of unresolved issues they said they have continuously been presenting to both the current and previous county government administrations but to no avail.
The union officials presented a list of grievances that included: employment and promotion issues, delay in study leave, interdepartmental discrimination, delay of conversion of contracts to permanent and pensionable terms and unimplemented Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“I have been a clinical officer for 10 years now yet I have never been promoted. I am just an example of many. Majority of the healthcare are on antidepressants”, one of the representatives complained.
The health workers’ union representatives further expressed their disappointment in county health management team for intimidating them against picketing which they said was a constitutional right.
Speaker Abdi Idle addressed the union representatives and encouraged them to expect what was due to them. He called on the MCAs to prioritise the issues of the union in the House.
On the other hand, MCAs assured the full support to the union, promising to do whatever that was within their mandate, including summoning county health officials to seek answers.
Health Committee Chairperson Hon. Aden Hassan Odhowa acknowledged receiving the complaints of the health workers and assured them that monies were set aside in the Supplementary Budget to resolve them.
Dadaab MCA and Leader of the Majority Hon. Mohamed Abdi Farah emphasised that there was the urgent need to address and resolve the legitimate grievances by the County Government.
Township MCA and Leader of the Minority Hon. Hussein Mohamed Dagane told the union representatives that they should least be worried about being intimidated by the county management. He assured them that the House would summon them if they did.
Baraki MCA Hon. Hassan Dahir Noor told the health workers to continue picketing till their grievances were addressed by the Executive.
‘The day you find your payslips reflect an increment is the day you should stop the picketing’, Hon Hassan said.
Madogashe MCA Hon Mahat Abdikadir said that as much as the grievances of the health workers were legitimate, they ought to be humane not to disrupt the healthcare services as the patients were on the receiving end of their strike.
Waberi MCA Hon. Abubakar Haji Sugow pled with the healthcare workers not to disrupt the provision of healthcare service and be considerate of the pain and suffering of the patients who would be most affected by their strikes.
Saka MCA Hon. Abdiweli Aden Abdullahi said the Assembly felt the pain of the healthcare workers but asked them to consider the humanity in the plight of the patients. He also asked the County Government to honour the implementation of the last CBA.
