Kitui Governor Charity Ngilu has agreed to meet workers to forestall a looming strike over delayed June salaries.
The county employees had threatened to stay away from work from Tuesday next week. They have maintained that nothing short of payments will stop the planned boycott. A notice has been issued to the county administration.
On Tuesday, some workers' union officials met with Ngilu in her office. Another meeting was scheduled for Friday during which the county chief will meet all unions.
“We resolved to give the county leadership opportunity to address the issue and agreed that the governor meet all trade unions branch executive officials on Friday, July 12, 2019, for further consultations,” read a statement issued by the unionists soon after the Tuesday meeting.
It was signed by Kitui County United Kenya Civil Servants Union official Benjamin Munyalo, Kitui Branch of Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) chairman Stephen Kitheka and KCGWU secretary Daisy Muli, among other officials.
On Tuesday evening, Ngilu said the salary problem had been resolved. She declined to elaborate.
On Wednesday, the Kitui Branch of the Kenya National Union of Nurses said its officials were ready to meet with Ngilu but cautioned that the meeting will be of no help if the will be no pay.
“We are set to go on strike. The meeting with the governor will not cancel our plans to down tools unless or until we get our June salaries,” secretary Newton Kimanzi said.
The notice said the county workers had vowed not to heed the call by Ngilu’s administration. It said the workers cannot bear with the delay.
The workers also accused Ngilu of contempt. They said the governor looks down upon them, alleging that she had declined to grant their requests for a meeting, yet she easily hosted teachers, who are not county employees.
“We've been requesting for a courtesy call on our governor, but she has refused to meet us, yet she is able to meet teachers who serve under the national government,” they said in a statement on Monday evening.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
