Government employees have responded with concern following Kuria’s remarks advocating for the scrapping of permanent and pensionable jobs.
The public service sector trade unions in a joint statement on April 29 said the government has lately been making reckless pronouncements touching on public servants.
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According to the unions, these statements threaten to decimate the entire public service.
“A few days ago, the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service made a pronouncement on the intention to convert public service workers from Permanent terms to Contractual terms of employment,” read the statement in part.
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“This is in total disregard to laws governing the labour industry, the Kenya Constitution 2010 and International Labour Treaties and Conventions which the country is a signatory.”
Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria while speaking at a press conference in April 23 revealed plans to end all permanent and pensionable jobs in the Public Service.
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“All government workers will be converted to contracts,” Kuria said.
“We are going to convert them from permanent and pensionable to contract but still pensionable. We are going to be on contract because we have to focus on productivity.”
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Govt Employees Decry Sabotage
As such, the unions noted that over one million strong public servants deserve better treatment from the government.
“Workers are not ready to pander to the whims of an insensitive government that has a cavalier attitude towards its own employees, whose statements do not inspire hope among workers, respect no law nor structures and instead inciting workers to down their tools,” the statement further read.
The public servants said the pronouncements are an affront and a direct attack on labour as they not only blatantly violate the Constitution of Kenya and disregard tenets of tripartism and social dialogue, but also violate rights of workers.
“These reckless utterances are likely to cause unnecessary panic, anxiety, low morale and reduced productivity in the public service sector. It is the Public Servants that are charged with the responsibility of implementing the government’s programs and policies,” they said.
Also Read: Govt to End All Permanent and Pensionable Jobs
Public Service Sector Trade Unions Issue Demands
The union further said any attempts to convert permanent & pensionable terms to contracts, bastardize mutually agreed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBAs) will be resisted at all costs.
In view of the above, the employees demanded that the government immediately stops issuing unilateral threats to public servants and engages union leadership in constructive social dialogue based on tripartite framework.
They further urged the government to respect employments contracts entered into by public servants on permanent and pensionable terms.
Furthermore, the employees said Public Sector Unions will join demonstrations every Tuesday until the government complies with their demands.
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