Harmonise workers’ pay, union urges counties

What you need to know:

  • Mr Odege said most workers, whose services were moved from the National Government, were “idling” due to lack of money to facilitate their work.

A civil servants’ union is concerned over huge discrepancies in salaries and allowances earned by county government employees.

Top Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) officials Thursday said the morale of workers, transferred from the National Government when functions were devolved, was at its lowest ebb.

UKCS secretary general Tom Odege and the national chairman, Mr Noah Rotich, urged the National Government to speed up the harmonisation of perks.

Mr Odege said most workers, whose services were moved from the National Government, were “idling” due to lack of money to facilitate their work.

SPECIAL TREATMENT

The unionist said that employees hired directly by the county governments were given special treatment — good salaries and transport allowances, among other perks.

He cited a case in one of the counties where a driver, employed six months ago, is earning an allowance of Sh11,000.

Mr Odege said that another driver, transferred from the National Government, is paid a paltry Sh4,000, despite his experience of 20 years in the public service.

“The working environment for employees shifted to the counties is worrying because of the differences in salary scales.

“Unless the matter is addressed with the urgency it requires, then delivery of key services will significantly be affected,” he said.

He was speaking at Bishop Delany Secondary School in Eldoret Town, Uasin Gishu County, during the education day for members of the union drawn from the North Rift region.

Mr Rotich accused the National Government of delaying the implementation of a career progression guideline policy for public servants across the country, despite repeated reminders.

The UKCS chairman said it was only through the implementation of the document that workers, who had stagnated in one job group, would have an opportunity of promotion and earn a better income.

“Why should a top National Government official ‘sit on the file’ instead of effecting the policy to improve the working conditions of public servants?” asked Mr Rotich.