Civil servants have rejected the government's latest salary review, saying the adjustments approved by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) are not a negotiated pay rise but the routine annual increments they are already entitled to receive.
The Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) has now given SRC and the Public Service Commission (PSC) 14 days to withdraw the July 17 remuneration circular and return to the negotiating table, warning that it will move to court and call a nationwide strike if the demand is ignored.
Speaking during a press briefing on Monday, UKCS Secretary General Lawrence Nyaguti said the union was not consulted before the commission announced the new salaries and benefits for civil servants.
He said the decision was made while negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) were still ongoing, adding that the circular only reflected the government's position and not an agreement reached with the union.
“We take issue with SRC and the PS because what has been published and what is purported as salary incrementals are mere annual incrementals that are already guaranteed. And in terms of the law and in terms of the violations in the Labour Relations Act, we are demanding that the letter on benefits and remuneration issued by SRC be withdrawn forthwith, and its implementation be stopped immediately until we finalize our negotiations and sign our CBA,” Nyaguti said.
The union accused SRC of failing to consider proposals it had submitted, saying they were informed by the rising cost of living and the financial challenges facing public servants.
“They have refused to listen to us. They have refused to listen to public servants. We are left with no other option but also to simultaneously take legal action. If they can't stop it, we'll stop it in court. If they stop it, we'll withdraw our court case,” Nyaguti said.
The union also warned that it was prepared to organise a nationwide strike if SRC and PSC failed to act within the 14-day deadline.
“We have never, for a long time, as civil servant gone on strike. But I'm telling you that this one, we will, if they don't respond within 14 days,” the union said.
Nyaguti said the union had expected consultations after the President approved a salary review for civil servants, arguing that the commission's actions violated workers' constitutional rights under Articles 41, 230 and 234.
He added that UKCS had formally written to SRC seeking negotiations on the proposed salary review after the elections but never received a response, leaving the CBA talks incomplete.
The dispute comes days after SRC approved a new salary structure and allowances under the Fourth Remuneration Review Cycle, with the changes taking effect from July 1. Under the new structure, officers across different job grades will receive revised salaries and allowances, with senior officers receiving the highest increases in basic pay.
Despite the review, UKCS insists it does not recognise the circular and wants its implementation suspended until both parties conclude negotiations and sign a mutually agreed Collective Bargaining Agreement.