Cleaners at Kabale regional referral hospital have laid down their tools citing non-payment of their allowances.
They accuse their contractor, Ambrose Mugyenyi for failing to pay them since November last year. Their payments range from Shs 52,500 for daytime employees and Shs 70,000 for night shift employees.
The strike by cleaners has triggered a foul smell in the Paediatric, Maternity and Surgical wards. Patient attendants were seen improvising to clean the wards using their own manpower.
Lydia Akatuha, one of the cleaners says that their ability to secure basics needs is diminishing yet their employer is adamant about releasing their payments.
“Since November last year we have never got our money. We now demand four months, we are 37 cleaners and we have not been paid. Moreover they give us a small amount of money. Some get Shs 70,000, others get 60,000 while others get Shs 50,000. Today we have gone on strike. We want our money because they keep confusing us,” she said.
Praise Mwebesa, another cleaner says that they were forced to lay down their tools after they failed to get a clear explanation to why they were not being paid.
The hospital’s senior administrator David Tibemanya faults the contractor for not paying cleaners despite receiving payments from the hospital.
“The main problem they say; is that their director has not paid them for the last 2-3 months but for us as the hospital we have already cleared the director. I even talked to the director and he has already told me that he gave the money to the supervisor. That it is the supervisor who has not distributed the money to worker” Tibemanya said.
When contacted, Mugyenyi the contractor to the cleaners admits that the cleaners have never received their pay since November last year. He however says the problem was brought by the hospital administrators who did not remit the money for every month in time. He adds that cleaners will get their pay before Saturday.