Solve mounting crises to avert national strikes
What you need to know:
- Two national teachers’ unions and university lecturers have threatened to strike.
- A strike by civil servants would bring the government to a standstill.
This is developing into a season for national strikes that could push the country to the brink unless decisive measures are taken to resolve the looming crisis. Civil servants have put their employer, the government, on notice that they are going to down tools next month.
This presents a new headache for President William Ruto’s administration, which is already facing strike threats by two national teachers’ unions and the lecturers in the public universities. All these have announced that they will withdraw their labour, accusing the government of reneging on agreements with them.
The civil servants have warned that if the second phase of their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that was to be implemented in July is not honoured, they will go on strike. This comes at a time when the government is making frantic efforts to avert a strike by teachers when schools reopen next week.
The Union of Kenya Civil Servants is demanding basic salary and house allowance increments. It is, however, encouraging that the union has already engaged in consultations with new Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi, who has reportedly given an assurance on the pay deal.
Major national crisis
A strike by civil servants would bring the government to a standstill. The CBA in contention was signed last year, with the pay increment to be implemented in two phases.
However, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission announced last month that the pay increments would not be effected due to the budget cuts following the withdrawal of the controversial Finance Bill, 2024.
Should the civil servants make good their threat, they are likely to join primary and secondary school teachers and the university lecturers, whose unions have vowed that their members will go on strike if their pay increments are not effected and their pending statutory deductions remitted.
A major national crisis is looming and it calls for honest and sober discussions by all the parties concerned to avert a major disaster.
