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The Kenyan government will not increase wages for Kenyans this year, despite calls by the Central Organization of Trade Unions through its Secretary General Francis Atwoli who had asked the government for a 15 per cent general wage increase in exchange for the union’s support of the proposed 1.5 per cent housing levy from salaries that has been suspended by the courts.
During the 54th Labour Day Celebrations, Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani said he would announce adjustments after reaching an agreement between workers’ unions and employees.
“We are still in the process of negotiating at the Wages Council between the employers and employees. We will discuss whether there is going to a wage increase next week,” Yattani said on behalf of President Uhuru Kenyatta who skipped the annual fete on Wednesday.
During 2018’s Labour Day celebrations, President Uhuru Kenyatta, increased lowest paid workers’ salaries by five per cent pushing it to Sh13,572 from Sh12,926, which he said was to cushion Kenyans from inflation which stood at 4.8 per cent.
In 2017, the Atwoli asked the government to review salaries up by 22 per cent to ensure efficiency and a better lifestyle for the workers.
This will come as a major blow to most Kenyans presently struggling to put descent food on the table coupled with other macro-economic conditions such as the implementation of the eight percent Value Added Tax (VAT) on petroleum products.
With loads of young people struggling to get decent employment or better paying jobs majority of Kenyans fear that the situation could be dire in the coming years.