Differences between Salaries and Renumeration Commission (SRC) and clerks of the county assemblies deepened on Friday after the latter moved to court seeking to stop the commission from implementing the salaries harmonisation programme on civil servants.
Through lawyer Hillary Sigei, the 47 clerks told Judge Byram Ongaya of Nyeri Employment and Labour Relations court that their rights were violated after SRC evaluated their jobs without involving them.
Consequently, Sigei successfully urged court to halt implementation of the report dubbed ‘Job Evaluation Results for the Public Sector’.
The lawyer said the commission unconstitutionally recommended that the clerks be graded and recognised under a lower grade on Job Group E3 in the classification system.
He said the move will lower their salaries and benefits.
”A constitutional question has arisen as to the legality of the preparation of the report without the clerks participation,” said Sigei
Led by Kamau Aidi of Kirinyaga County Assembly, the clerks said the classification disregarded their roles and responsibilities.
“We as clerks are surprised by evaluation which ignored principles and existing constitutional provisions on the process and procedures to be followed in the development and production of any job evaluation report which would affect the employees individually,” said Sigei.
They argued that the report has major impact on their careers and positions.
In his sworn affidavit, Aidi indicated that the clerks are accounting officers of the County Assembly.
According to the report, clerks of County Assembly are placed at a lower grade compared to their peers at the Parliamentary Service Commission.
He explained that prior to the release of the report, the clerks sought engagement with the commission and their efforts to know status of the evaluation and need to have a consultative forum for purposes of full participation were in vain.
He said there was no staffing structure prescribed after formation of the County Assemblies and a generic mode was applicable as was advised by the Transitional Authourity.
ends.