Nairobi County staff resume work after nine-day strike

A Nairobi County worker empties garbage outside City Hall during their strike, September 4, 2013. The workers have called off their strike after signing a return to
work formula. DENISH OCHIENG 

By KIARIE NJOROGE

In Summary

• The agreement was brokered Wednesday night after a meeting between the county government officials and KCGWU leaders at the Ministry of Labour offices under a conciliator Stephen Mbae.
• Services will now be expected to resume at key facilities including the City Mortuary and Pumwani Maternity Hospital that had been shut.

There was relief in Nairobi as the county government workers resumed services Thursday after their union signed a back to work agreement following a strike that lasted nine days.

The agreement will see the county government implement in full, beginning end of this month, a comprehensive bargaining agreement (CBA) that led to the strike.

“We also agreed that there will be no victimisation for those who took part in the parade. In that regard the letters that were issued must be withdrawn,” said Kenya County Government Workers Union (KCGWU) Nairobi branch Secretary-general Festus Ngari.

Last week, 500 workers including two union officials were reportedly sent home for taking part in the strike in contravention of a court order.

READ: City Hall sacks 500 workers over strike

The agreement was brokered Wednesday night after a meeting between the county government officials and KCGWU leaders at the Ministry of Labour offices under a conciliator Stephen Mbae.

Services will now be expected to resume at key facilities including the City Mortuary and Pumwani Maternity Hospital that had been shut.

The implementation is likely to see the wage bill climb higher but this will be mitigated by the expected higher revenues once new rates in the recently gazetted Finance Act become effective. According to the County Executive Committee member for Finance Gregory Mwakanongo, they expect expenditure on salaries to rise by Sh200 million.

It remains unclear however whether this new wage bill will be sustainable. In a sworn affidavit, County Interim Secretary Lilian Ndegwa had last week said that in July, the county collected Sh453.7 million which translates to annual collections of Sh5.4 billion.

“Implementing the CBA would require an annual personnel cost of Sh10.43 billion, an amount that is nearly double the total annual revenue collection,” she added.

“Wage bill sustainability will be based on the revenue enhancement initiatives,” said Mr Mwakanongo Thursday.

But further reprieve on the cash-strapped county is expected from a purge of recently identified 2,260 ghost workers from the payroll who have been costing City Hall Sh100 million in monthly wages.

READ: 2,260 ghost workers found in Nairobi County's payroll

According to the Governor Dr Evans Kidero, the goal is to have a lean 5,000-strong workforce down from the current fuzzy number.

Some of those who could be affected include those from the Environment Department involved in street sweeping and garbage collection and transportation. The county government last week advertised a tender for these services in the Central Business District as it seeks to outsource some of the non-core functions.