- The Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) has dismissed the SRC’s July 17 circular as unlawful and premature.
- UKCS argues the salary framework undermines collective bargaining since talks are unfinished and no CBA has been signed.
- The union warned of a possible nationwide strike, the first in its history, if concerns are ignored.
The Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) has rejected the government’s latest salary review and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) circular approving revised remuneration and benefits for civil servants, describing the move as unlawful and warning that it could lead to the first nationwide strike in the union’s history.
Addressing the media on Monday, July 20, UKCS Secretary General Lawrence Nyaguti said the union was not consulted before the SRC issued the circular on July 17, arguing that the commission acted outside its legal mandate.
Nyaguti said the SRC acted unilaterally despite ongoing negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), noting that the circular reflected the government’s position rather than a negotiated agreement with the union.
“The circular only represents the government’s position. It is not the outcome of negotiations with the Union. We neither participated nor endorse it,” he said.
He added that salary talks are still ongoing and the CBA has yet to be signed, making the implementation of the new remuneration and benefits both premature and procedurally flawed.
“The negotiations have never been concluded. There is no signed CBA. Therefore, the remuneration framework announced by SRC cannot be said to reflect an agreed position between the employer and workers,” said Nyaguti.
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He argued that approving salaries and benefits before the conclusion and signing of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) undermines the collective bargaining process and infringes on the constitutional rights of civil servants.
He maintained that meaningful consultation is a legal requirement rather than a matter of discretion whenever remuneration frameworks affecting unionisable employees are formulated or implemented.
The dispute comes days after the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) approved Phase II of the Fourth Remuneration Review Cycle for civil servants, with the revised salary structure taking effect on July 1.
In its July 17 circular, the Commission unveiled new basic salaries and reviewed house, commuter and leave allowances for national government civil servants. SRC said the remuneration review, covering the 2025/26 to 2028/29 cycle, was guided by considerations such as inflation, fiscal sustainability, labour productivity, and the need to attract and retain a skilled workforce.
By Frank Mugwe
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