SRC’s Chairperson Sarah Serem hints at ripple effect of tutors' pay rise

NAIROBI: The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has advised that any measures undertaken to raise funds to settle teachers’ pay demands must be reasonable and benefit all public service workers.

SRC Chairperson Sarah Serem said it would be counter-productive and unsustainable to raise funds only with the teachers’ pay dispute in mind.

She, however, lauded the move by MPs to cut pay for top civil servants in half, but questioned whether it would be sustainable to service anticipated salary demands from the rest of public service workers.

The argument by Ms Serem seemed to augment the Government stand that the ripple effect of honouring the 50 to 60 per cent salary demand by teachers would be dire.

Serem was responding to the Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba motion that seeks to chop, by half, the basic salaries of the President, deputy president, Cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries, MPs, senators, governors and their deputies, the two speakers of Parliament and the clerks of the Houses.

PENSIONS CASH

The Namwamba motion also seeks to reduce the number of counties and constituencies to cut down on the huge number of elected representatives who continue to draw hefty perks.

The motion also encourages elimination of allowances enjoyed by top Government officials as some of the key austerity measures to check the wastage of public funds.

And speaking Tuesday, Serem said the move should be voluntary.

She made the remarks in her brief to professional associations on public service remuneration.

Serem, however, expressed fears that any increment in teachers’ salaries would shoot up the pensions liability to unmanageable levels.

She said the conversation over the wage bill must be escalated to include pensions.

TSC and Treasury were represented at the forum dubbed “The Journey Towards Harmonisation of Remuneration and Benefits in Public Service.”