SRC faces fierce opposition on move to cut allowances

The move to abolish civil servants allowances has been meet with fierce opposition with the Salary and Remuneration Commission (SRC) threatened with court action should they abolish civil servants allowances.

On Wednesday 27, SRC Chairperson, Lyn Mengich, said the commission had started reviewing multiple allowances paid to 750,000 public servants aiming at restructuring, harmonizing and abolishing some of the allowances.

She added the annual wage bill for civil  servants is about  Sh733 billion which represents 53 per cent of country’s revenue.

The Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) opposed plans by the SRC to review their allowance saying the figure was farfetched and exaggerated to put civil servants in negative light.

“It is not possible that we have 149 allowances. It is farfetched and we don’t have anything of that kind. It must be done in a systematic way. The matter touching allowances is very tricky and therefore should be gradual process where eventually it affects those being employed a fresh and not those already in service,”  UKCS Secretary General Tom Odege told The Standard.

He challenged Mengich to take the time to acquaint herself with the allowances of the civil servants before waging a war she is likely to lose.

Meanwhile the Central Organization of Trade Unions COTU urged SRC to consult civil servants before any pay review.

COTU Secretary General, Francis Atwoli said that since the civil servants have not given any consent for reduction of their allowances, nor have their representative unions, the SRC proposal is null and void.

“COTU is determined to pursue this matter at Employment and Labor Relations Court to fight for civil servants,” said Atwoli.