Kenya faces potentially a tough time ahead after County Government workers on Wednesday issued a 21-day strike notice.
Kenya's County Government Workers Union Secretary General Roba Duba pointed the lack of a salary review since 2012 as the main reason for calling the strike. This potentially exposes the country to further instability with the country just recovering from having averted strikes called by doctors and teachers.
The Salaries and Remunerations Commission (SRC) extended a freeze on the salary increase to all public officers dimming the hopes of thousands of government employees seeking improved salaries.
According to SRC, the move to freeze the salary reviews was informed by the financial struggles facing the exchequer in light of growing debt repayment obligations and missed revenue collection.
County Government Workers have now resorted to retaliating against the freeze. Roba has warned that all county workers including ECDE teachers, sewer men, firemen, enforcement officers, garbage collectors, revenue clerks, parking attendants, TVET instructors, mortuary attendants, and ambulance attendants would go on strike if SRC does not listen to them.
The strike notice comes one day after Civil Servants moved to court to challenge SRC's move to freeze their salary increase arguing that the move is a violation of their rights according to the constitution.
They further stated that the decision contravenes an existing Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed by the union and the government, regarding salary increments of its members.
“That this Honourable court does issue a temporary order directing the 1st Respondent (SRC) to temporarily recall and suspend its decision to freeze the implementation of salary increments of all public servants as contained in their circular issued on the 18th July 2024 pending the inter-partes hearing and determination of the application,” the petition reads.
Civil Servants on Wednesday shelved a strike notice after Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi disclosed that the National Treasury will release Ksh1.5 billion to the State Department for Public Service.
The money is aimed at settling the second tranche of a Collective Bargaining Agreement already agreed on with the Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS).
Now, the County Government Workers Union wants their grievances to be heard and met like their counterparts in the civil service.
A majority have been agitating for salary reviews saying they need to be cushioned from the high cost of living.
