Trade unions form umbrella group for civil servants

Five main public servants unions have registered an umbrella body to rival the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU).

Top officials of the Union of Civil Servants of Kenya (UCSK) on Tuesday joined forces with Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Kenya Union of Post-Primary Teachers (KUPPET) and the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) to dislodge Cotu.

Universities Non-Teaching Staff Union (UNTESU) was also represented in forming the new body – Public Servants Trade Union (PUSETU) - aimed at taking over Cotu’s slots in various statutory bodies including the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).

The new union will be led by KNUT Secretary General David Okuta and chaired by Tom Odege of UCSK while Prof Sammy Kubasu (UASU) will be his deputy.

Other leaders are Dr Charles Mukhwaya of Untensu (organising secretary) while Mr Njeru Kanyamba (KUPPET) will be the Treasurer.

The officials argued that COTU was not a union of public servants, rather private sector employees, and therefore did not have the right to represent them in SRC, or any other agency.

“We are therefore inviting all other trade unions representing public servants to join the movement,” KNUT Deputy Secretary General Xavier Nyamu said as they received a certificate from the Registrar of Unions and Societies in Nairobi.

“Since the promulgation of the Constitution two years ago, it has demanded that trade unions read from the same script and that is why we have registered PUSETU,” Dr Mukhwaya said.

“We now have an alternative labour centre to address the issues and matters that are affecting the public sector workers,” he said.

Speaking in turns, the leaders said they will claim various seats that COTU holds including the SRC, Social Security Fund, Health Insurance Fund and the National Labour Board.

COTU has representation in the East African Trade Unions and the All African Trade Unions where Secretary General Francis Atwoli represents workers.

“You cannot represent the civil servants of Kenya if you’re not a civil servant in the first place. It is the person who wears the shoe who knows where it pinches,” Mr Noah Lang’at of UCSK said.

“We will get together to ensure that all workers are uplifted in terms and conditions of their service,” Mr Lang’at added.

The officials noted that the union was open to all servants who drew their salaries from the government and would seek their representation at all levels.

Under the Constitution, “an umbrella body representing trade unions in Kenya must nominate one person” at the SRC to represent their interests in the commission set up to set and regularly review remuneration and benefits of all State officers.

The new union shall be hosted at the KNUT headquarters in Nairobi.

KNUT Chairman Wilson Sossion said the centre shall coordinate activities and handle issues of workers as and when they occur in a clear manner according to the Constitution.

“We will work hand in hand with all the unions to ensure that the best interests of the workers of Kenya are taken care of through representation,” Mr Sossion told journalists.
“Let the government be ready to listen to us.”

However, speaking to the Nation on phone, Mr Atwoli said the new union cannot represent workers at the SRC.

“They cannot get the seat because according to the International Labour Organisation, it is the union with the most workers that should represent them,” Mr Atwoli said.

He also noted that PUSETU was only an umbrella body of unions under one employer - the government, unlike COTU that represents different employers.