Equality and fairness is not a quality you want to gumble in this error as human beings are way more smarter nowadays not to mention the many laws that have been introduced to preserve human dignity in our various settings.
A section of scientists employed by the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) have moved to court demanding better terms of service.
The non-medical staff have cited discrimination in the allocation of extraneous and emergency allowances.
They say that, while colleagues who work as medical doctors at the institution were awarded the allowances, they were left out.
They have termed the move discriminatory and say that it had demoralized them.
About 154 non-medical staff including entomologists, immunologists, parasitologists and statisticians have been affected.
The position taken by the government directing Kemri to award medical doctors the allowances and leave out non-medical staff has caused tension.
Apart from the aggrieved staff moving to court to compel the institution to effect the allowances, the Union of National Research and Allied Institute’s Staff of Kenya (UNRISK) has also lodged a suit accusing the institution and the government of excluding the staff in the payment of the allowances.
Under the listed categories of staff to be awarded allowances according to the circular are medical doctors, clinical officers, nursing officers, laboratory technologists and technicians, radiographers and all subordinate staff deployed to facilities offering clinical services.
The non medical staff revealed they are earning yet they do the donkey work, while the medical doctors even ran private clinics, defeating the purpose of awarding them non-practicing allowance.
They have threatened not to participate in the upcoming Kemri Annual Scientific and Health (Kash) conference scheduled for mid-February. They produce abstracts presented at the conference.
“We were all employed as scientists and researchers. Why are some workers being given money in the name of extraneous allowance yet we all deserve it,” a scientist who sought anonymity said.
Do you agree that the complaining staff deserve more?