Crisis looms in counties as workers’ union top organ endorses national strike

Operations in all of Kenya's 47 counties are likely to come to a halt as the Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) officially endorsed a nationwide strike starting September 24.

The decision was made by the union's national executive committee in a meeting held on Friday, in which it ratified the strike notice initially issued on September 4, 2024.

The union, which represents a wide range of county employees including firemen, sewer workers, garbage collectors, revenue clerks, parking attendants, Early Childhood Development Education teachers, TVET instructors, enforcement officers, and mortuary and ambulance attendants, is calling for a complete shutdown of county operations.

The union is determined to rally all its members from the 47 counties to join the strike.

"We, the National Executive Committee of the Kenya County Government Workers Union, being the governing body of the union, hereby unanimously resolve that the strike notice issued on September 4, 2024, calling on all county workers to down tools, is hereby ratified," said Roba Duba, the union's secretary-general.

The decision to strike comes after the government failed to address the workers' pay grievances.

The union claims that recent salary adjustments have unfairly favoured national government employees, leaving county workers behind.

Although the state recently awarded pay raises to police officers, teachers, and other national government employees to prevent strikes, the union argues this move was discriminatory.

Duba said the Salaries and Remuneration Commission had initially issued a circular for salary increases for all public servants, but it was withdrawn amid protests and later reintroduced but only for national government employees.

The union also said its members were excluded from the first phase of salary adjustments, which aimed to provide a seven to 10 per cent increase.

In addition to pay issues, the union is demanding the payment of overdue statutory deductions. Duba revealed that the pension debt, owed to the Local Provident Fund (Lapfund) and County Pension Fund (CPF) and Local Authorities Pensions Trust (Laptrust), has reached Sh60 billion.

The non-payment of pensions has left many retired workers in financial hardships.

"Due notice is hereby given in accordance with section 76 of the Labour Relations Act 2007," Duba said.

The government is already dealing with threats of strikes from various sectors, including health workers, lecturers, and university students.

These groups are demanding better pay while students are demanding a review of the new university funding model, which they argue is disadvantageous to poorer students.

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There are concerns that a wave of strikes could further impact the country's struggling economy and efforts to recover from previous industrial actions and political unrest.