Atwoli warns employers, CS Yattani on pay and labour laws

Companies that are yet to implement this year's five percent increase in minimum wages will be sued, trade unions boss Francis Atwoli has warned.

President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the increment on Labour Day on May 1.

UNFAIR PAY

Mr Atwoli, the Secretary-General of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu), said they will take legal action against companies paying their staff members unfairly.

Speaking in Ndidiriku Village in Kirinyaga County during a burial on Saturday, he noted that some employees are paid less than the set minimum.

“We are in talks with the government to settle the matter. Companies that fail to comply will face legal action," he said.

General labourers in Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa counties, whose minimum monthly pay is Sh12,926, are to get Sh646 more, bringing the total to Sh13,572.

President Kenyatta gave the order in a bid to counter the high cost of living. The 18 percent increment for 2017 is yet to be effected by some organisations.

LABOUR LAWS

Mr Atwoli also warned Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani against making another attempt to change labour laws.

He said proposed changes to Labour Relations Act, 2007 were shot down by lawmakers on Thursday after a long debate.

“We will run over him [if he attempts to change the laws],” he warned.

The Labour Relations Act Miscellaneous Bill, 2018, sponsored by Majority Leader Aden Duale, was tabled after a series of strikes in the health and education sectors.

Trade unions opposed the bill as it sought to restrict industrial action by employees in some sectors and safeguard the provision of essential services especially in health facilities.

The bill also proposed a fine of Sh500,000 or three months' imprisonment for union officials if the strikes they call disrupt services listed as essential.

EXECUTIVE SLOTS

Mr Atwoli reiterated his support for constitutional changes to increase the number of executive positions “to ensure an all-inclusive government”.

The changes, he said, will ensure elections do not result in violence.

“We must change the Constitution so that we have almost six slots in the executive so that more tribes are included in the formation of the government. This way, we will not have tribes complaining that they were left out,” he said.