Mombasa, KENYA: Doctors across the country have come out strongly to refute claims that they had requested a 300% Salary increase in order for them to go back to work.
Speaking during a meeting with doctors in Mombasa on Saturday, Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KPMDU) Secretary General Ouma Oluga, said this was the governments’s way of spreading propaganda about their strike.
“We have not demanded any 300% increase in our salaries all we want is just the 2013 CBA that was agreed between the government and the doctors to be implemented,” Said Oluga.
Oluga added the Collective Bargaining Agreement that underwent thorough research, was signed between KPMDU and the national government on 27th of June 2013 and was supposed to be effective on 1st July 2013.
Four major issues which were supposed to be addressed by the CBA were on pay increase, set of working hours, and training of doctors as well issues of promotions.
Government spokesperson Eric Kiraithe addressing journalists in Mombasa during the State of the Nation address late last week, claimed that the doctors wanted a 300% Salary increase, which was not possible.
Kiraithe said the government had given the doctors an option of a salary increment proposal that the doctors refused.
“We had given them 2 salary proposals of which a recent graduate would get sh sh. 180,000 , while they continue conducting negotiations on the CBA.” Said Kiraithe.
Dr. Oluga has however refuted these claims saying so far the government has not given them any new proposals; terming the claims as propaganda.
“Those offers have not reached us on any negotiations, those are propaganda that are being spread through the media. If they have any offers let them put them within the CBA framework.” Said Oluga.
The doctor’s strike that started on 5th of December of 2016 has affected services at various public hospitals in the country.
The government has said it is trying it’s best to solve the crisis, as the doctors have insisted they would not go back to work unless the 2013 CBA is implemented.
