We are still open to dialogue with doctors – Gov’t

The government now says that it will engage striking doctors within the confines of the law following the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruling that the two factions negotiate and resolve the issue within two weeks.

Health Cabinet Secretary, Dr Cleopa Mailu, on Friday, January 13 said that the government is still willing to negotiate with the doctors and agree on the way forward.

Addressing the press at Afya House, CS Mailu called on the doctors to obey court orders which directed them, through their union – Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU), to end the over one month-long strike that has paralysed operations in government health facilities.

“We need to negotiate a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that is legal. I want to emphasize we cannot operate outside the law,” said Mailu.

While affirming the government’s commitment to negotiate with the medics, Mailu insisted that the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed in 2013 did not comply with the Salary and Remunerations Commission (SRC) guidelines nor devolution saying that health was a devolved function.

“We want to ensure we work within devolution and within the law,” said Mailu.

Mailu further said that they cannot negotiate pay structures that do not conform with SRC recommendations.

While urging the doctors’ union to call off the strike, Mailu told the doctors that it was still possible to meet their demands.

“Within the law we can still achieve what they are asking, however, we cannot be negotiating at leisure when Kenyans are suffering.”

The CS moved to assure Kenyans that the national and county governments are exploring every possibility to ensure patients get emergency services at referral hospitals across the country.

“On Monday, we have a meeting with the Health Committee for CECs and we want to tell them to second nurses to Faith-based Institutions for them to assist Kenyans.”

Mailu further rubbished claims that President Uhuru Kenyatta’s trip to India was to recruit doctors warning that speculation will only poison the relationship between government and the striking medics.

“We shall explore every possibility to ensure Kenyans get services including the above option, but it is yet to come to that,” added Mailu.

Mailu insisted that the offer to the doctors is significant for them to consider going back to work further hinting that the striking medics might go without pay.

“Paying someone who has not been working for 30 days will be an audit query,” said Mailu

On Wednesday, January 5, President Uhuru Kenyatta met with the doctors’ union officials at State House, Mombasa and offered them a 40% pay rise, an offer the medics have since rejected.

In the meeting, the government offered to raise the entry level grade into the public service for doctors to Job Group “M” from Job Group “L”, a grade it terms as higher than the normal entry level for other public servants and recognizes doctors’ professional training.

The government further offered to raise the Enhanced Emergency Call allowance to Ksh 66,000 from the current Ksh 30,000 for Job Group L; Ksh 72,000 from Ksh 30,000 for Job Groups M-P; and Ksh 80,000 from Ksh 30,000 for Job Groups Q and above.

A new Doctors’ Risk allowance was on offer at a flat rate of Ksh 10,000 per month.

“The sum total of the government’s offer means that the minimum gross salary for doctors will increase to Ksh 196,989 from the current Ksh 140,244 at full implementation at the current entry Job Group L,” read the government’s statement in part .

“The total impact of the government offer on the exchequer will be an additional expenditure of Ksh 4 billion annually – shared among the nation’s 5,000 doctors.”