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NMS employees in strike threat

By Collins Omulo November 10th, 2021 2 min read

Nairobi County staff seconded to the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) have threatened to down their tools over delayed payment of their October salaries.

The more than 6,000 workers have raised concerns over the failure by the NMS to pay them on time.

Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) Nairobi Staff Branch Deputy Secretary Augustine Wafula said that their members serving at NMS are yet to receive their October salaries despite the Union raising the issue with NMS.

He accused the national government entity of going against the provisions of good labour practices by subjecting their members to harsh living conditions.

Subsequently, the Union has written to NMS Director-General Mohammed Badi to ensure the delayed salaries are immediately released or the workers resort to industrial action.

“With the foregoing, we request for the immediate release of October salaries to the accounts of our members and a response on future plans on timely salary payment,” said Mr Wafula, in the letter dated November 9, 2021.

“This union will have no other option but to resolve to industrial action as per the provisions of the labour relations law in case this humble appeal is not given the attention it calls for,” he added.

Mr Wafula pointed out that it is disheartening that NMs did not make prior arrangements to ensure the workers receive their salaries at the end of every month as the law stipulates.

“This is indeed saddening that the commitment being put in place by our members to ensure high returns is not making any sense to the management and thus resorting to subjecting our members to harsh living conditions and as a result, their performance index is slowly diminishing resulting to low productivity,” he said.

On October 27, 2021, State House Comptroller Kinuthia Mbugua wrote a letter to Nairobi Finance and Economic Planning Executive Allan Igambi requesting him to make a requisition of Sh822 million to the National Treasury and the Controller of Budget.

The money was to go to NMS October, 2021 wage bill and other payroll from the County Revenue Fund to the recurrent account of NMS held at Central Bank of Kenya.

“The purpose of this letter is to seek your prompt consideration and placement of the requisition for the approval of the Controller of Budget and transfer of Sh822 million from the CRF to the recurrent account,” read in part the letter.