Kenya Power workers strike to go on: union

The country may be plunged into darkness at midnight should Kenya Power fail to meet its employees demands.

The Kenya Electrical Trades and Allied Workers’ Union (Ketawu) National General Secretary Ernest Nadome said they are ready to execute, what they have dubbed, “Operation Darkness” and turn off the country’s electrical power supply.

He said they were awaiting communication from the Kenya Power management for talks to resolve the impasse, failure to which they would make good their threats.

“The Government is aware of this and it is unfortunate that the Ministry of Labour has been held captive and the Minister of Energy has refused to come out strongly to resolve this matter leaving us with no option,” he said.

However, the government has declared the strike illegal. (READ: Govt cautions Kenya Power over strike)

The issues that the union workers want resolved are the terms and conditions of service for permanent employees and employment of causal workers.

“We are just fine-tuning what will be the mother of all strikes,” he said adding that the 7-day notice they had earlier issued to the company had expired.

He made these remarks on Sunday at the Central Organization of Trade Unions (Cotu) offices in Nairobi.

Cotu secretary General Francis Atwoli threw his weight behind Ketawu saying communication from Kenya Power seeking a resolution would go through his office.

“Ketawu is facing a myriad of issues, and they are ready to go on strike which is their number one weapon,” Mr Atwoli said adding that he would sit it out with them.

The Ketawu official insinuated that they opted to disregard the court order Kenya Power had obtained from the Industrial Court in a bid to stop the planned countrywide strike.

“The case in court will be heard on November 7 and we shall be there but our strike starts tomorrow (Monday),” Mr Nadome said.

Industrial Court judge Paul Kosgei issued the order and certified the application by the company as urgent.

He explained that the dispute between the Workers Union of Kenya Power and the union had dragged on for three years and they "had now reached the point of no return.”

“We are aware of the threats the country is facing because of Al Shabaab but as a union we have a contract with Kenya Power and if they are cognisant of what is happening, they should give our issues priority,” Mr Nadome warned.

This comes days after Kenya Power managing director Joseph Njoroge said the company had put in place contingency measures to ensure usual services should the strike take effect.