Strike paralyses service at Posta

Postal services in most parts of the country were on Friday paralysed after workers boycotted work to push for better pay.

However, the Postal Corporation of Kenya management termed the strike illegal, with the Postmaster General Maj Gen (Rtd) Hussein Ali, warning those participating as ‘doing so at their own risk’.

Respect court rulings

He said in a statement that the Industrial Court had granted interim orders declaring any strike by the workers illegal.

“We therefore wish to remind our staff that like all other Kenyans, they are obligated to observe and respect court rulings at all times,” said Maj Gen (Rtd) Ali.

He said they were ‘open’ and ‘committed’ to dialogue to resolve all the pending issues.

“The actions by the Communication Workers Union’s leadership are in bad faith as they are designed to derail the ongoing process of negotiation,” he said.

The Postmaster-General said they had signed an agreement with the union to suspend its strike notice to give dialogue a chance.

However, the union insisted that they called the strike following the collapse of the salary negotiations with the employer.

Union secretary-general Benson Okwaro said Labour Minister John Munyes had agreed to arbitrate after the union presented him with a strike notice, which the management ignored.

Mr Okwaro said the government had frustrated efforts to have their salaries improved by dragging negotiations.

“We have reached this point after all efforts to have dialogue failed,” he said.

A spot-check by Nation at Migori, Awendo, Rongo, Kehancha branches found employees talking in groups.

In Eldoret, Posta workers held demonstrations and called for the resignation of their boss.

The situation was the same in Nakuru where managers were forced to carry out the duties of the staff. In Nyeri, the 107 employees staged a sit in at the post office.

Reported by Dave Opiyo, Samuel Koech, Elisha Otieno, Kennedy Lumwamu, Francis Mureithi and Charles Mwaniki