Cotu deputy Secretary General Benson Okwaro on Wednesday opposed the move to hire civil servants on contracts.
Okwaro said the directive is a sham as there was no involvement of workers’ unions in the decision making.
Workers' unions will not allow Kenyan workers to be hired on contract, he said.
“Unions are recognised in the law and they should not be sidelined in such a grave issue touching the workers,” Okwaro said.
On Tuesday the government announced a freeze on permanent employment of civil servants from July 1.
The Public Service Commission said it will phase out the permanent and pensionable terms of employment at entry cadres and instead introduce a three-year contract for all staff.
The change is intended to reduce the government wage bill.
Okwaro who spoke at the Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega County on Wednesday said the only way to reduce wage bill is to apprehend corrupt officials and compel them to return public money.
“The best way through which we can sort out the issue of the bloated wage bill is by stopping corruption,” he said
Uasu chapter chairman Robinson Oduma said employing civil servants on contract terms is a way of killing the workers' unions.
It should be opposed in the strongest terms possible, Oduma said.
“This will lead to the oppression and violation of workers’ rights because the unions will be rendered futile,” he said.
Okwaro said the government as the major employer in this country should not do something like this especially when the country is facing unemployment crisis.
“If the government starts hiring on a contract basis then the private sector will follow suit and it will be too unfortunate for the Kenyan job seekers,” he said.
Okwaro said Cotu will release a statement concerning the PSC changes at the weekend when the Secretary General Francis Atwoli returns to the country.
