Kenyan govt sacks striking civil servants

NAIROBI – Kenya yesterday began dispatching letters of dismissal to thousands of civil servants who last week went on strike to demand a 600 per cent increase in pay, officials said.

“We have already started sending dismissal letters,” government spokesman Alfred Mutua told AFP. Mutua could not provide the number of workers being dismissed but Kenyan newspapers estimated that about 9 000 could be axed.Government officials said thousands of employees were involved but gave no precise figure.Last week, the Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) said 95 per cent of its 121 000 members had gone on strike, but the government said at the time only a small portion had heeded the call for a work stoppage.The government says the strike is illegal because the union did not give the mandatory 21-day notice required by law.In addition to the pay rise, the union wants the government to halt the planned retrenchment of 21,000 employees.- Nampa-AFPMutua could not provide the number of workers being dismissed but Kenyan newspapers estimated that about 9 000 could be axed.Government officials said thousands of employees were involved but gave no precise figure.Last week, the Union of Kenya Civil Servants (UKCS) said 95 per cent of its 121 000 members had gone on strike, but the government said at the time only a small portion had heeded the call for a work stoppage.The government says the strike is illegal because the union did not give the mandatory 21-day notice required by law.In addition to the pay rise, the union wants the government to halt the planned retrenchment of 21,000 employees.- Nampa-AFP