Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) workers listen as their union official Agripina Mbala at the Moi international airport in Mombasa on April 08, 2012. Photo / Laban Walloga
By LEONARD MUTINDA lmutinda@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Sunday, April 8 2012 at 15:43
Posted Sunday, April 8 2012 at 15:43
The Kenya Airports Authority workers have defied a government directive to return to work by midday Sunday .
The workers accused the government of intimidation and vowed continue with the strike until their demand for a 25 per cent pay increase is met.
Terming the strike as “illegal”, Transport Permanent Secretary Cyrus Njiru, on Saturday had ordered the 1,300 workers to return to work or face the sack.
“Failure to report to work will be viewed as desertion of duty and such desertion is ground for termination of service under the employment act,” said the PS.
However, the Aviation and Allied Workers Union Secretary General urged the workers to dismiss the directive and press on with their demand.
“Stay put until we have a collective bargaining agreement. Do not be intimidated,” said the Secretary General, Nicholas Baraza addressing workers gathered at Central Organisation of Trade Union (Cotu) headquarters, Nairobi.
Mr Baraza further dismissed as mere propaganda Stephen Gachuki’s, KAA Managing Director, earlier claims that a number of unionised workers had reported to work.
The workers union, which has since sought the help of the umbrella workers’ union, is further accusing the Ministry of Labour of not being an impartial arbitrator.
They expressed distrust in the arbitrator claiming, he had been compromised by the KAA management.
Meanwhile, the Aviation and Allied Workers Union has become the latest union to condemn the National Health Insurance Fund’s move to implement a 50 per cent increase on membership contribution.
A statement signed by the union Secretary General said the union would not honour the directive and directed all employers under it not to make any deductions to their members “hard-earned wages to NHIF.
They allege that under the new rates, their members deductions will go up from Shs 150 to Shs 2000 per month.
“Any employer who goes against the position taken by the union to effect these new rates will face the wrath of the workers,” read the statement.
The union said it does not have confidence that its members will receive better services from the fund even after the increase saying it does not have the capacity to manage “such huge funds.”
The union urged the fund to desist from making unilateral decision and consult Cotu before deciding on the rates deductible from their contributions.
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