National Registration Bureau staff claim unfair dismissal
National Registration Bureau (NRB) officers Monday camped at their data logging centre in the Southern Region, demanding money for what they call unfair dismissal.
One of the officers, Joel Milanzi, said, despite signing a five phase-contract, some of the officers have had their services terminated after four phases while others have been allowed to continue with phase five of the work in the Northern Region.
“They said it would be on first come, first serve basis, but some of us came yesterday from the field and were told that we have been fired while other people who just came today have proceeded to the Northern Region for phase 5,” he said.
Milanzi said the officers feel that this is unfair dismissal and they must get their dues for the fifth phase, saying it was not their fault that the contracts have been terminated.
The officers also decry low wages, saying, although Minister of Home Affairs Grace Chiumia claims that they are getting K10,000 per day, they are getting less than K5,000.
Milanzi said the officers have computers in their custody with all the data and they are not handing them over to NRB until their grievances are addressed.
“We do not know how they are going to get the data from our computers but we will not hand them over until we are heard,” he said.
NRB spokesperson, Norman Fulatira, confirmed the standoff between the officers and their employers, Price Waterhouse Coopers(PWC) on behalf of the United Nations Development Programme.
“The standoff is to do with contract disagreements between Price Waterhouse Coopers and the officers which we, as government, were not part of. The PWC is on the ground solving the issue and they will find a solution soon,” he said.
Mass registration of the NRB has been marred by controversy mainly surrounding officers’ welfare.
Last week, NRB officers spent a night in a police cell for allegedly threatening to destroy the bureau’s property while demanding their arrears.
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