This archive report was first published on 19 July 2021.
On July 19, 2021, Wilson Sossion, a member of Parliamentary Committees on Education and Labour, emphasized the importance of collective bargaining in the public sector.
According to Sossion, collective bargaining is an instrument of social justice, as acknowledged by the International Labour Organisation (ILO). ILO member states are obligated to respect, promote, and realise the recommendations arrived at during collective bargaining processes.
In Kenya, the situation is no different. The country's public servants are entitled to a pay increase, which is a matter of social justice. The ILO Conventions Numbers 91, 154, and 163 specifically elaborate on collective bargaining recommendations, including the two-year salary review freeze directive for all government employees.
A Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) provides a greater degree of predictability for employers in areas such as salaries, allowances, and related entitlements, allowing employers to plan better. A CBA with monetary gains is highly valued, as it improves the living conditions of workers and their families.
Moreover, a CBA fosters a more positive working environment and creates industrial peace. The rise in the cost of living has eroded public servants' purchasing power, and the low basic pay limits their access to credit facilities and decent pension upon retirement.
Stagnation in the same job group has resulted in many public servants attaining the maximum salary within the job group. There are also wide salary differentials between the lowest and highest paid public servants, which the job evaluation exercise conducted by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) aimed to address.
However, the government's decision to suspend pay increment to public servants is unacceptable. The move will disadvantage workers who will be retiring from service between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2025, as their retirement packages and pension will be computed based on old salary scales.
Furthermore, the government should not deny workers a raise on the pretext of a bad economy induced by the Covid-19 pandemic. The National Treasury has projected the economy will grow at 6.6 per cent, and workers are covered by an agreement that 'pay increments are effected in line with projected inflation.'
Denying public servants salary review over IMF conditions should not be entertained. Kenya is a sovereign state and should not be tied to such policies that will hurt the country's human resource.
— Mr Sossion is a member of Parliamentary Committees on Education and Labour
