The County Government Workers Union has dismissed recommendations by the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) on managing county wage bills.
The union warned that proposals to freeze recruitment and rationalise staffing could undermine devolution and threaten workers’ livelihoods.
In a statement signed by Secretary General Roba Duba, the union accused the commission of overstepping its constitutional mandate by proposing measures it says could lead to job losses and restrictions on employment in county governments.
“The suggestion to sack county workers, freeze recruitment, and enforce punitive fiscal controls under the guise of managing the wage bill is not only a direct provocation but an unconstitutional declaration of war against the backbone of devolution,” Duba said.
The union warned the commission against pursuing measures that could affect the livelihoods of thousands of county employees, insisting that workers should not bear the burden of financial challenges facing devolved units.
“Devolution cannot and will not be built on the graveyard of workers' livelihoods,” the statement said.
The CRA has called on counties exceeding the statutory wage-bill limit to implement expenditure controls and manage their workforces as part of efforts to contain spending on salaries and employee benefits.
However, the union argued that the commission's mandate under Article 216 of the Constitution is limited to recommending the equitable sharing of revenue between the national and county governments and among county governments.
“Nowhere in the Constitution is the CRA mandated to manage human resources, dictate county employment terms, or direct the sacking of workers,” Duba said.
He accused the commission of venturing into human resource management and warned that attempts to dictate county staffing decisions could undermine the autonomy of devolved governments.
Instead of recommending workforce cuts, the union urged the CRA to focus on improving revenue allocation to counties, saying inadequate funding and delayed disbursements were major contributors to financial pressure in devolved units.
The union said the national government should ensure counties receive adequate resources to meet their obligations before proposing measures that could affect employees.
It also warned that implementing arbitrary mass dismissals or recruitment freezes could violate the Employment Act, 2007, and breach existing collective bargaining agreements between county governments and workers.
The union maintained that any changes affecting county employees must comply with labour laws and respect agreements already in force.
The dispute comes amid concerns over rising wage bills in several counties, with the CRA pushing for tighter expenditure controls to ensure more resources are available for development projects and service delivery.
The union, however, insisted that controlling personnel costs should not come at the expense of workers’ rights or the constitutional principles underpinning devolution.
