Union rejects new KPA medical scheme
By KNA, February 27, 2023The Dock Workers Union has opposed a new medical scheme by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) that is currently being piloted.
The Union demands for its suspension issuing a 21-day ultimatum to the management to shelve the proposed medical scheme or face industrial action.
The Secretary General of the union Simon Sang (pictured) complained that the new scheme is yet to be registered and was on its pilot stage as the period mandated for studying it before its review has not ended.
The union blamed their employer for implementing it fully as it was infringing on their rights. “We will be holding protests every seven days until the 21-day ultimatum is over,” said Sang during a press conference in Mombasa.
“Our workers have all along had an agreement where even if the bill has exceeded the allocation, KPA foots the extra bill and transfers the cost to the worker’s pay slip,” said the union boss
Incompatible arrangement
Sang said, “the union has signed and agreed to have the trials for one year and have a review after six months, but surprisingly KPA management has come up with an arrangement which is incompatible with humanity.”
He said that this is mishandling the employee’s medical scheme which they signed on a trial basis.
He accused the general manager human resource, his deputy and the head of medical services for being behind the workers’ medical woes.