Big win for civil servants as Govt implements hefty pay hike

More than 700, 000 civil servants will receive a basic salary increase ranging between 16 to 30 percent, effective 1st of July 2017 following a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed on Tuesday.

Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki yesterday announced that the government, through the National Treasury, has already allocated Ksh20 billion in the 2017/18 budget estimates, to improve minimum wage of workers in the civil service.

Speaking in Nairobi after signing the CBA with the Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS), Ms Kariuki said that house allowance for civil servants would be harmonized as per grade across the regions with effect from 1st July 2018.

The CBA, which will remain in force for four years, will see salary increase for service staff in job group A to N. The lowest paid public servant in job group will earn a minimum of Ksh12,192.

However, the CS did not give a clear breakdown of the pay, but said full details of the structures would be made available once the CBA was deposited with the Industrial Court. She said also captured in the CBA was introduction of risk allowance for veterinary personnel, health and nursing services.

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Ms Kariuki said the salary increase was based on the job evaluation undertaken by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) in the financial year 2017/18. The CS said the government was committed to improving the lives of public servants through increase of salary and allowance aimed at boosting workers morale and improving service delivery to the Kenyans.

UKCS Secretary General Tom Odege welcomed the CBA, adding that there were other areas where the union would to negotiate urther with the government  to improve the welfare of workers.

He said that the union is pushing for a post-retirement health cover and a better pension scheme to cater for the retiring workers, given that majority needed better healthcare in the old age.

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Mr Odege urged the government to fast-track the implementation of salary harmonization across the public service sector, in order to remove disparities among workers deployed to different sectors.

“We want time shortened for negotiations for uniform pay across the civil service so that other workers are well remunerated like those working for the Teachers Services Commission, Parastatals and Parliamentary Service Commission,” he added.

Wages and allowances of State officers cost taxpayers Ksh627 billion annually, accounting for half of the revenue the government collects.

[crp]