Labor CS Bore rejects proposal to recruit civil servants

Labor and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore on Wednesday dismissed as personal opinion the proclamation by her Public Service counterpart Moses Kuria that the government plans to eliminate permanent working conditions for civil servants and hire government employees.

Speaking to KBC on the sidelines of the Labor Day celebrations held at Uhuru Gardens, Bore categorically stated that the government had not yet considered such a proposal.

He further stated that his Ministry would not accept the contractual payment arrangements proposed by CS Kuria.

Bore also assured public servants that he would defend their rights if the proposal were debated. Furthermore, he advised government employees not to worry and asked them to continue working normally without fear of losing their jobs.

An undated image of a Public Service Commission office.

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“I want to assure Kenyan workers, especially those in the public service, that their jobs are secure and the opinions they heard from my colleague were personal opinions and if anything comes up, I will defend their rights,” Bore said.

Kuria Proposal

During his controversial remarks, CS Kuria maintained that all civil servants, including cleaners, should not be hired on a permanent basis.

The proposal, put forward by Kuria, is expected to reduce the wage bill that the government has described as a ticking time bomb as it devours a huge chunk of public revenue.

However, the proposal has not yet been discussed with the government and a way forward has not yet been published.

Defense workers

Speaking further on workers’ rights, Bore noted that the Ministry of Labor was working to ratify conventions drawn up by the International Labor Organization (ILO).

Conventions 190 and 191 seek to establish safe work environments and guarantee that workplaces are free of harassment.

Following the decision to ratify the agreements, the government was in negotiations with the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) and the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) to implement them.

During the labor celebrations, President William Ruto issued a directive to Bore asking him to convene a meeting with relevant stakeholders and hold talks to potentially increase the minimum wage of public servants by 6%.

A meeting of county government workers.

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Kenya County Government Workers Union