Permanent Contracts for Civil Servants Scrapped Off Effective 1st July

The government through the Public Service Commission has announced a halt to the permanent employment of civil servants from July 1 in a drastic policy meant to reform the public service.

The Public Service Commission (PSC), which is mandated with the obligation of employing civil servants, on June 18 announced that it would start hiring staff on contract from the next financial year.

This policy that will be unveiled in July will see the phasing out of permanent and pensionable terms of employment at entry cadres and in its place, the introduction of three-year contracts for all staff joining the service.

The new form of employment is in the Government’s line of reforming the sector through performance contracts which is expected to improve efficiency in the sector.

The new policy will have new employees placed on a three-year contract with clearly defined performance targets that will have to be met before the contract is renewed.

“This will ensure that people are retained in the public service based on their performance,” PSC chairman Stephen Kirogo said.

“This is a major policy shift in human resource that will reward hard work and sanction poor work,” Kirogo added, saying that the decision to embrace the far-reaching changes in the public service was informed by thorough studies which had compared lazy staff to baggage.

“We have done research and know that people need a job for about two or three years after that they move to other places. Our new policy will address turnover and retain competent skills,” he said during the launch of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission’s Public Sector Wage Bill.

The contracts will also be issued to fresh colleges and universities students to sign before they are offered employment letters.

The announcement is expected to cause jitters among labour unions which is likely to result into court battles as when a similar policy was introduced for teachers by their employer the Teacher Service Commission, it became a cause for conflict with the union and outside.

The policy is likely to enhance service delivery in the public sector and help clear out the problem of ghost workers. The unemployment rate could also ease if the employer implements the policy to the letter.