Atwoli, Pusetu take fight to registrar

Two battling labour unions have taken their supremacy wars to the Registrar of Trade Unions with each demanding to be furnished with the latest records of its membership.

Whereas Cotu through its Secretary General Francis Atwoli says the membership status recently given by trade unions registrar, Mr William Langat, leaves out some of its umbrella unions, his counterpart from Pusetu Charles Mukhwaya charges that Mr Langat has not updated his records to factor in its new members.

“Cotu’s membership as quoted from your records is lower than what we have in our records drawn from our affiliates, which stand at 1.6 million. We, therefore, ask you to reconcile our membership to reflect the correct position and inform us accordingly,” reads in part the letter addressed to Mr Langat.

Mr Atwoli argues that three more unions joined Cotu recently, raising the figure to 1.6 million, and he is demanding that the database be updated.

The February 25 letter from the registrar seen by Sunday Nation indicates that Cotu has 1,294,853 members from its 40 affiliate unions. Public Service Trade Unions of Kenya is quoted as having a membership of 259,293 from four affiliate unions.

Mr Mukhwaya told Sunday Nation he wanted Mr Langat to update his records arguing his figure do not reflect the currently reality.

“That is dismissible from the word go; our membership stands at 700,000. At 278,000, teachers alone surpass that figure before you even factor in the other affiliate unions,” he states.

“Maybe he has not updated his files. The truth is we are more than 259,000 and you must also be weary of falsehood being peddled by Cotu to give an impression that our numbers are way below theirs,” Dr Mukhwaya adds.

The war is raging as the annual Labour Day celebrations on May 1 draw near, with reports indicating that the two unions will hold parallel celebrations in Nairobi. (READ: Union wars rock Labour Day preparations)

Whereas Mr Atwoli confirmed they had booked Uhuru Park as their venue, it was not immediately clear where Pusetu will hold theirs although there were indications they would be at the same venue. Mr Atwoli asked them to get an alternative place.

“We are not aware if they are planning that, but let no one try to disrupt us; the repercussions will be disastrous. They would rather look elsewhere. We have paid for the venue, invited the President, his deputy and even Nairobi governor,” he said.

Dismissing the figure as inflated, Cotu boss says all unionisable civil servants and teachers in the country put together cannot even reach 400,000.

Pusetu leaders have repeatedly claimed that Cotu has 160,000 members.

Many observers reckon that the launch of Pusetu on April 9 has dealt a blow to Cotu’s dominance in representationsof Kenya workers with the former claiming to gain enough numerical strength to displace it.

The launch was attended by three Cabinet secretaries, Prof Jacob Kaimenyi (Education), Ms Anne Waiguru (Devolution) and Mr Kazungu Kambi (Labour and Social Services).

The resurgence of the Dr Mukhwaya-led body has opened a fresh battleground with employees representation to NHIF, NSSF, Salaries and Remuneration Commission, Retirement Benefits Authority and the Labour Board at stake.

Pusetu believes that its rival Cotu no longer has the numbers to warrant the power to sit on the boards of the four bodies.

In an interview with Sunday Nation, Mr Atwoli accused Pusetu of being comprised of “individuals out to shield corrupt people who are well-known locally and internationally”.

“There is no day a government-leaning trade union has ever championed the welfare of workers. Pusetu is vulnerable to arm-twisting and manipulation becomes its funds come from government,” he added.

In his now signature war of words with Mr Kambi, Mr Atwoli claimed the Cabinet Secretary was supporting Pusetu because he had refused to support him in the implementation of the NSSF Tassia II housing project.

“Remember I have been steadfast and refused to ‘cooperate with him’ in the failed Tassia II project and PUSETU is on record for having defended the minister and the NSSF board for the endorsement of the shadowy Sh4.6 billion project,” he says.

But Mr Mukhwaya dismisses Mr Atwoli’s allegation that the Tassia project was fraudulent claiming his outbursts were motivated by personal considerations, which had not yielded fruit.

Mr Atwoli says the government is trying to establish a mechanism of diluting Cotu’s influence in the labour sector but insist they will not budge.

“The whole issue here is to deal with me because I have declined to play along. They feel Atwoli has become too powerful and his wings must be clipped. They will not succeed,” he says.

According to the Registrar’s records, Kenya National Union of Teachers, Union of Kenya Civil Servants, University Academic Staff Union and Universities Non-Teaching Staff Union are PUSETU affiliates.

But Mr Mukhwaya points they also have the dock workers union on board although Cotu claims the union is still under its hold, having remitted its March dues in full.

Transport and allied workers and tailors and textiles workers are among unions that Mr Mukhwaya said have announced plans to ditch Cotu for PUSETU to increase its numbers.