Nairobi News

The umbrella union of county government workers has warned of complete shut down of their services if governors make good their plans to delay disbursement of workers salaries.

The union has also backed the stance taken by President Uhuru Kenyatta and the National Assembly over allocation due to the county governments.

Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) general secretary Roba Duba warned the governors to prepare for the wrath of the county employs should their July salaries not be released on time.

Mr Duba accused the governors of not taking seriously the plight of the county employees saying that they will not listen to any excuse and will resist any attempt to delay the salaries.

“Every worker has the right to fair remuneration and reasonable working conditions and therefore we warn all county governments to be prepared to face the wrath of workers should they fail to pay the July and other subsequent salaries as and when they fall due,” Mr Duba said during a press conference at the Union’s office in Nairobi on Friday.

STALEMATE

He accused the governors of taking advantage of the current stalemate over the Division of Revenue Bill to continue undermining workers.

“We shall picket, go on go-slows and even hold demonstrations if the salaries are delayed. This time it will be huge as we are in talks to have all the seven unions with employees at county governments to withhold our services at the same time,” he said.

The Union’s outcry comes after the Council of Governors chair Governor Wycliffe Oparanya on July 23 alerted unions and county government workers to prepare for tough times ahead concerning disbursement of salaries and other related payments due to delay in the passage of the Division of revenue Bill for 2019/2020 financial year.

However,  Mr Duba has hit back at the Kakamega County governor reminding him that salaries and subsequent statutory deductions are recurrent expenditures which should not be subjected to the same kind of circus as monies meant for contractual and other miscellaneous and often dubious pending bills in counties.

“Any form of violation of workers rights, such as the one suggested by the Council of Governors, is totally unwelcome and must be condemned in totality,” said the general secretary.

OVERSPENDING

He accused the governors of turning county governments into dens of pilferage, corruption and overspending through fictitious and exaggerated budgets saying that an increased allocation will not mean anything different.

Mr Duba pointed out that workers conditions have deteriorated ever since county governments came in with their salaries not enhanced since and most governors refusing to recognise those inherited from defunct local authorities.

This, he said, is as even the devolved units have turned into places of illegal contracts, dubious pending bills, and huge debts in form of unremitted statutory and non-statutory deductions.

“We are therefore not ready to entertain any furtherance of workers suffering by delay in payment of salaries. The governors must do all it takes to avert workers suffering as the workers are also citizens of this country who must be allowed to enjoy their hard earned salaries which can only be enjoyed when paid in a timely manner,” Duba said.