The Union of Kenya Civil Servants has issued a seven-day notice, threatening industrial action if the government does not implement the second phase of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by the end of the week.
The pay adjustments promised in the CBA, which were due to appear in July’s pay slips, remain unmet.
Union Secretary General Tom Odege criticized the Salaries and Remuneration Commission’s decision to suspend the CBA’s implementation. He described the suspension as illegal and stressed that the finalized terms of the agreement should be honored.
At the Union’s national conference at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), Odege stated that the union will not engage in further negotiations.
“We are not going to invite anyone to the table for talks. What we need is the money we are rightfully owed. The amount we are requesting is minimal—only Ksh2.7 billion. Minister of Public Service Justin Muturi should take note,” Odege said.
In a related development, public university lecturers began a strike on Monday, demanding the implementation of the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement. The strike, which started at the Technical University of Kenya, follows a seven-day ultimatum issued by the Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU) on August 26, 2024.
The lecturers have highlighted several issues, including the salary increments specified in the CBA, delays in salary payments, and non-remittance of statutory and third-party deductions. These deductions include bank loans, Sacco loans, insurance premiums, NSSF, NHIF, AHL, and problems with the virtually insolvent Staff Retirement and Benefits Scheme (TUK-SRBS).
The lecturers have stated they will not resume work until these issues are satisfactorily addressed.
