• Labour CS Ukur Yattan said public service performance was not necessarily improved by increase in funds allocation.
• The CS said government will create one million new jobs in the manufacturing sector.
Image: COLLINS KWEYU
There will be no increment on the minimum wage this year.
During Labour Day celebrations today, Labour CS Ukur Yattani said public service performance and service delivery was not necessarily improved by increase in funds allocation.
He added that it requires a complete change of attitude and work culture among public servants.
“In this respect, the government has introduced reform initiatives that nurture an integrated system of productivity improvement and work culture across government ministries and agencies with a view to ensuring efficient and effective service delivery to wananchi,” he said.
The CS was addressing politicians, unions, diuplomats, civil society groups and general public during Labour Day celebrations at Uhuru Park in Nairobi.
“I appeal to the workers and employers to support government efforts in its noble pursuit of shaping the social-economic landscape of our nation," he said.
The CS said government will create one million new jobs in the manufacturing sector.
“This will raise the sector's contribution to GDP from the current 8.5 percent to 15 per cent,” he said.
He said the affordable housing project by the government will ensure access to decent and affordable dwellings to safeguard workers dignity.
“While Universal Health Coverage will not only improve access to health services of the Kenyan workers but immensely contribute to enhanced motivation and increased productivity of workers,” Ukur said.
The CS said the uptake in the public sector remains low despite the government initiating numerous policy infrastructure and creating suitable environment for productivity improvement and competitiveness.
“The industrial relations landscape in the country has been quite turbulent in the recent past particularly in the public sector, with the health and education sectors as the most affected,” he said.He criticised workers for strikes and work stoppages that have continued to deny Kenyans essential services and inflicting immeasurable suffering and inconvenience.He added the industrial unrest portrayed negative image of the country as a shaky investment destination.
He said his ministry has established Alternative Dispute Resolution organ with a fully serviced secretariat to handle all labour related disputes.
Ukur also said he has established a panel of conciliators consisting of 13 prominent labour practitioners to facilitate the process of dispute resolution.
“Indeed, this method has already led to successful resolution of complex disputes like between the KNUT and TSC, AND between COG and Ministry of Health (MOH) on one side and Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) on the other,” he said.
The Cs said he has developed The Labour Relations (Amendment) Bill 2018 expected to operationalise disputes resolution in both Public and Private sectors and now awaiting public participation.
“I have also initiated hosts of reform measures aimed at strengthening policy and legal frameworks; from review of the Industrial Relations Charter, developments of Labour Relations Policy, and Wages and Remuneration policy with a view to aligning them to them to the constitution and best global practices,” he said.