Civil servants want 90pc salary increase

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The Union of Kenya Civil Servants secretary general Tom Odege (second left) and other officials in a show of solidarity during a news conference in Nairobi October 4, 2012. Civil servants want a 90 per cent salary increment in a demand notice to the government June 12, 2013. FILE 

By LUCAS BARASA, lbarassa@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Wednesday, June 12  2013 at  17:05

IN SUMMARY

• Workers want new house and hardship allowances included in the budget and this should reflect in their payslips from July 1.
• Union wants tax levied on basic salary and all allowances exempted.

Civil servants want a 90 per cent salary increment in a demand notice to the government.

The workers want new house and hardship allowances included in the budget and this should be reflected in their payslips from July 1.

The Union of Kenya Civil Servants said its demands were in cognisance of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission and its role of advising the government on public officers' remuneration.

“The Union has demanded a 90% salary increase alongside other packages in the proposed collective bargaining agreement. A range of allowances are covered in our proposed CBA which include specific allowances for particular public servants,” the union said in a statement Wednesday.

The statement was signed by Jerry Ole Kina on behalf of the union’s secretary general.

The civil servants further want a hardship allowance they had been promised by the government in 2009 to be implemented.

The union said the state should also meet its pledge in 2007 to harmonise house allowance.

"Harmonisation of house allowance was meant to eliminate the discriminative payment where rural areas are paid less while urban areas are paid more. This discrimination has deprived the rural areas of direly needed services as officers fight to remain in urban areas for better house allowances," the statement said.

It said the last review in 2001 discriminated against the junior civil servants mainly in rural areas, “who earn a paltry Sh1,800/= while favouring the senior civil servants who are majorly in urban areas.”

“The two allowances alongside commuter allowances were discussed at length during the 10th parliament (June 8, 2010) where the then Public Service Minister reiterated the commitment by the government to pay,” the union said.

The union complained of high taxation as opposed to their Kenya Defence Forces counterparts who enjoy duty free shops.

They want the current tax relief raised from Sh12,000 to Sh30,000, tax levied on basic salary and that all allowances be exempted.

“With the imposition of taxes on all commodities, it should be appreciated that the workers are paying double taxes. The government should own up and say they are unable to collect taxes effectively and efficiently.

"It is easy to collect taxes from employees who will have the taxes deducted direct from their pay. Civil servants should not be victims of circumstances due to the inability of the government to collect taxes from the private sector,” the union said.