Cotu suspends strike over prices

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) on Saturday withdrew a strike notice it had issued over rising food prices.

During a meeting of the organisation’s governing council, Labour minister John Munyes announced that he had convened a meeting of Cotu, Federation of Kenya Employers and his ministry officials to discuss the strike threat by the workers.

On Saturday, the conference mandated the senior officials to attend the meeting and give a chance to negotiations over the basic salary of workers.

As is customary in many Cotu elections, all the top officials retained their seats unopposed during the meeting held in Kisumu.

Mr Francis Atwoli was re-elected for another five-year term as secretary general as were chairman Rajab Mwondi and his deputy Rev Joel Chebii. Others that will remain in office are treasurer Cornelius Nyang’ua, first assistant secretary Benson Okwaro, second assistant secretary Carolyne Chepkoech and deputy treasurer Rebecca Nyathogora.

Trustees were named as Maero Tindi, Joseph Nyabiya and Washington Ododa.

During Labour Day celebrations, Mr Atwoli had threatened a national strike if the government did not offer a 60 per cent pay increment, saying the rising cost of living was hurting workers.

Mr Atwoli said the union played a big role in resolving the post-election violence in 2008. He said the union had also fulfilled most of its pledges to workers in 2006 and mentioned the new Constitution, pushing for better services and life and also protecting workers against employers who were exploiting them.

Mr Munyes also said that talks about minimum wages would continue and cautioned employers against exploiting workers.

And senior counsel Paul Muite asked Cotu to push for the full implementation of the new Constitution and particularly Article 41, which gives workers the right to strike.

He said the article was under the Bill of Rights and could only be removed through a referendum.