Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko on Tuesday blamed the Salaries and Remuneration Commission for rejecting the CBA signed between the county and its 13,000 workers in 2017.
Sonko said the county has the money to pay the striking workers but his hands are tied.
He was addressing the workers who had staged demonstrations outside City Hall to demand SRC to give the County a go-ahead to implement the CBA as ruled by Industrial Court Judge Nelson Abwodha in November last year.
“I know there is a problem. Your union leaders have looked at the county supplementary budget and they know the money is there but the only problem is SRC, not me,” Sonko said.
The workers are demanding salary increment of between 15 and 20 per cent contained in an agreement signed in May 2017 that City Hall had promised would be affected last month.
He added, “You know you collect money everyday but I am only waiting for SRC and treasury to give me a go ahead.”
Sonko further assured the workers that no one will be victimised or punished for participating in the strike.
“No one will be deducted his or her salary for protesting. You have a right to do so and I have seen you have been very peaceful. I have no time to fight with you because you are doing a lot of work. The only fight I will fight is against the corrupt,” Sonko said.