Public Service and Delivery Management Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria now wants all collective bargain agreements (CBAs) involving the government handled by his ministry.
CBAs have in the past been negotiated between the trade unions and their respective employers, most often the ministry under which the professional group falls.
But Kuria says the government intends to scrap professional-driven CBAs to bring order in the public sector and ensure equity in salaries and other remunerations.
“I’m going to crack the whip. My Ministry is going to be responsible for negotiating all CBAs because we are the human resource experts of the government of the Republic of Kenya,” Kuria said.
He made the remarks on Friday during SRC’s media briefing at the Nairobi Safari Club.
It was a precursor to the 3rd National Wage Bill Conference to be held at the Bomas of Kenya from April 14-17, 2024.
Present were a team from the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) led by the Chief Executive Officer Kipkurui Chepkwony and senior officials from the Public Service Commission.
CBAs dictate the terms and conditions of employment including the benefits to the workers as well as the industrial relations mechanisms of engagement with workers' representatives.
The existing mode of CBA negotiation has faced headwinds for years with professional bodies leading their members to the streets to push for their bargain.
Kuria's announcement comes at a time when doctors have pitched tents in the streets to push the government to honour the CBA hammered in 2017.
Attempts to broker the deal have flopped with doctors' strike entering its 30th day Friday.
CS Kuria at the same time commended the National Treasury for instituting a raft of monetary policies that have since seen a reduction in inflation, a strengthening shilling and an increase in foreign currency reserves, enough to last the country for four months.
He said the strengthening of the shilling over the past month alone shaved off Sh1.5 trillion of Kenya’s debt obligation.
Kuria, however, regretted that all these gains were being reversed by bad fiscal management.
He said Kenya is borrowing for development purposes and this has continued to exert pressure on the exchequer through exorbitant interest rates.
"We borrow to invest because all our development budget is fully funded by borrowing," he said.
