Not so first, Mr. President! Public servants now vow to make RUTO’s life a living hell – See what they are planning?

 

Monday, May 8, 2023 – Public servants are up in arms against President William Ruto’s move to deduct their salaries as contained in the Finance Bill 2023.

Speaking during a press statement yesterday, Public Sector Union (PSU) vowed to oppose Ruto’s greedy move, terming it as over-taxation of public servants.

PSU noted that should the current tax regime persist, the government workers will go on strike and plunge the country into a deeper crisis.

“The tax authorities continue to overburden the workers in the public sector whose salaries are deducted at source while doing very little to net those employed in the private sector,” a statement from PSU read in part. 

The Union decried what they termed as periodic raiding of their payslips by the government without their approval.

“Any deduction to an employee’s salary can only be done through mutual consent or through negotiations by workers’ representatives,” they faulted the government. 

In their demands, they asked the Parliament to reject the proposed amendments in the Finance Bill 2023, which would see, among other increased deductions, civil servants pay a housing fund levy.

“Contrary to what had been communicated in the past, the Finance Bill seeks to make civil servants contribute a mandatory 3 per cent of their salary towards the Housing Fund,” PSU remarked in their statement, read by Dr. Charles Mukhwaya, Secretary General, Kenya Universities Staff Union. 

The second demand was to reduce taxes imposed on workers as PSU termed them untenable.

PSU further called on the government to immediately engage workers’ representatives in the public service sector to agree on the best way forward.

“Lastly, we demand that the government fast-tracks negotiations and implementation of all pending Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) so that employees can have an increase in their earnings therefore deductions may be accommodated,” they gave out their final demand to the government.

“Failure to this, the Public Service Union will consider industrial action and any other measures as provided in the law,” they warned.