SRC defends proposal to increase civil servants salaries

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has defended it proposal to increase salaries for senior civil servants, saying the current salary review was meant to be implemented earlier but the exercise was halted due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Addressing the press Saturday SRC Chairperson Lyn Mengich said that the proposal was just but an implementation of the third of a four-part review cycle for salary increments.

She further clarified that there was a salary structure freeze due to Covid-19, and the current proposals are meant to bridge the gap that was created during the Covid 19 pandemic.

This week, SRC via a notice had proposed to increase the salaries of State officers by 14 percent in a move meant to cushion them against the harsh economic times.

However, the President rejected SRC’s proposal and instead proposed a 7-10 percent pay rise for all civil servants beginning this month.

Meanwhile, the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has welcomed the move by the government to increase the salaries of civil servants by between 7 to 10 percent.

This comes after the President’s recent directive to Salaries and Remuneration Commission to review the salaries of Public servants.

The COTU Secretary-General has also called on the government to put measures to attract investors and give them necessary support saying many companies are on the verge of closing down putting many Kenyans at risk of losing their jobs.

He at the same time called for measures to be put in place to support the unemployed Kenyans calling on the government to support the manufacturing  sector.