- The Lyn Mengich-led agency issued a circular on July 18 this year freezing the salary implementation for all public officers for 2024–25.
- The Civil Service Union SG, Tom Odege, argues that the circular goes against the terms of a CBA signed on September 11, 2023.
Image: FILE
The Union of Kenya Civil Servants has moved to court seeking to suspend the Salary and Remuneration Commission's (SRC) decision to freeze their member's pay hike.
The Lyn Mengich-led agency issued a circular on July 18 this year freezing the salary implementation for all public officers for 2024–25.
She said the decision was informed by the lack of budget for the implementation of the advised remuneration and benefits for all other public officers for the year.
But the union's Secretary General, Tom Odege argues that the circular goes against the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) signed on September 11 last year.
The CBA, according to his affidavit, was in respect to all civil servants who fall within job groups CSG 17-CSG 8 of the national government, whether deployed at the national or county government level, excluding national police service, prison warders, national intelligence service, teachers under the Teacher's Service Commission, and any other categories of staff agreed upon between the government and the union.
The negotiated salary was to be implemented in two phases. The first phase was to cover the period of July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. The second phase was to cover July 1, 2024, to June 2025.
"In that agreement, we undertook to ensure that employees in service shall receive an annual salary increment as contained in the basic structure for the respective grades."
The union has faulted the state agency for deciding to freeze the implementation of its member's salary review despite the existence of the CBA.
"Despite that, CBA, the SRC, in its circular proceeded to freeze the implementation of salary reviews for all public officers in FY2024-25 until further notice. This has affected the ongoing salary increment of our members, which was ongoing and planned to be conducted in two phases," reads their documents in part.
The union says the move by the commission amounts to unfair labour practice and has asked the court to issue an order directing the agency to suspend its decision pending the determination of the case filed in court.
The union members who are civil servants state that they have not been paid their salaries for July and August 2024.
Those sued in the case are SRC, the State Department for Public Service, and the Attorney General.