Workers want retirement age raised to 65 if NASA wins

NASA signs MOU with trade unions at the Mombasa Governor's office in Mombasa on Friday, 04th August,2017. This was after Raila signed on behalf of NASA an MOU with the Trade Union Congress of Kenya. [photo by Maarufu Mohamed,Standard]

Workers want the retirement age pushed to 65 if the Opposition coalition forms the government after next week’s election.

And the lowest paid civil servant will take home a minimum Sh30,192 according to an agreement signed between an umbrella workers’ union and the opposition. The details are contained in the Memorandum of Understanding between Trade Union Congress of Kenya (TUC-K) and National Super Alliance (NASA). TUC-K brings together Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut), University Academic Staff Union (UASU), Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS), Kenya University Academic Staff Union (Kusu) and the dockworkers union. Union secretary general Wilson Sossion signed the agreement in Mombasa on Friday with NASA presidential candidate Raila Odinga. Sossion also doubles up as Knut secretary general.

Broadly, the five unions rising the retirement age will align itself to tax exemption requirements of the Retirement Benefits Act. NASA and TUC-K committed to review the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) regulations to provide for as two-year negotiation cycle in public sector. The agreement further says that jointly, the unions will develop an employment policy framework that will ensure qualified and skilled Kenyans are given job opportunities whenever vacancies arise. And all civil servants reaching the maximum point of their grade shall be considered for promotion, according to the agreement.

“The employers shall accord equal opportunities without discrimination of all its employees regardless of race, tribe, religion, gender or any other form of attributes,” reads the agreement.

Specific agreements with the unions show that for Knut, if NASA wins the election, some 120,000 teachers will be recruited and retained to address the high teacher student ratio. This translates to hiring of some 20,000 teachers annually.

In addition to this, Nasa committed to allocate to the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) sufficient resources to facilitate adequate remuneration of teachers. [Augustine Oduor]