Many proposals by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission have failed. The commission is hurting public servants more than it is helping them.
We know all too well that the economy is in bad shape. As the economy is hurting, workers are still doing their jobs; and in very bad conditions.
Loans are capped at one-third of basic pay. So it’s the basic pay that helps us to get loans. Allowances are not used to secure loans.
Since its formation during the tenure of first chairperson Sarah Serem, we have had more industrial actions than in any other time in our country’s history.
All professionals have gone on strike. Currently, health workers are on strike. We have not gone on strike in the recent past because of the collective bargaining agreement that was deposited with the Industrial Court.
The SRC has eroded all the gains made by public servants.
We are thus saying the SRC should just be disbanded. We do not see the point of having it because it has completely failed in its mandate.
As at the moment, workers’ salaries have not been harmonised. There are discrepancies in allowances in the teaching profession. There are also discrepancies in basic pay for people in the same job groups.
Government must harmonise basic pay of workers in the same job group.
As a union, we do not see the great role that the SRC is playing. We had hoped that the exit of the first team would bring substantial changes but the SRC is still slumbering and coming up with funny proposals.
The proposals are not economically oriented, have no basis in law and will cause more industrial unrest.
The SRC, as much as it has the mandate, must consult widely before coming up with such proposals.