Employees sue devolved unit for withholding four months salaries

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Tharaka Nithi county government has been sued by 20 employees for withholding their salaries for four months amounting to over Sh2 million.

According to documents filed at the Employment and Labour Relations court in Nyeri, the employees claim they have been issued with a show-cause letter by the county government’s head of human resource questioning their qualifications and legitimacy.

The workers among them security guards and support staff, say they have not received their salaries since August.

Only source

They say the Governor Muthomi Njuki-led devolved government has subjected them to a lot of suffering since the monthly salary is their only source of livelihood.

In the suit in which they have sued the County Public Service Board (CPSB), the employees argue they were recruited by the board in 2016.

They further maintain they were issued with appointment letters signed by county secretary Kenneth Kanga.

The letters indicated that their employment term was for a five-year regular contract.

They argued the head of human resource, a Mr AM Muratha, had no powers to determine their qualifications and suitability to serve.

In the show-cause letters dated November 24, 2017, Mr Muratha indicated the CPSB had conducted a staff audit and discovered the employees were irregularly recruited.

Muratha submits most of the claimants had not met the minimum requirements for their positions.

He adds the audit showed some employees were not competitively recruited since no interviews were conducted.

Lacked merit

He further claims the county executive committee had not approved the recruitment, hence the exercise was not valid and lacked merit.

The case will be heard on December 14, 2017 before Justice Byram Ongaya.

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