The over 2,000 workers marched in the streets carrying a coffin, placards and chanting anti-Hassan Joho (Mombasa Governor) slogans/FILE
The over 2,000 workers marched in the streets carrying a coffin, placards and chanting anti-Hassan Joho (Mombasa Governor) slogans.
They marched along Moi, Digo and Nkrumah Roads demanding their dues leaving the streets strewn with litter.
When they reached the Mombasa Municipal Council offices, the angry workers burned the coffin accusing Joho of being unwilling to address their grievances.
“We will not relent until our salaries are paid. We will stay put and won’t work until we receive our money from the county government,” stressed Workers Union branch secretary Rashid Mteti.
The workers added that they would clean the city once their pay arrears are settled.
The county workers claim that their May and June salaries totalling about Sh320 million have not been paid.
They also claim the county government owes them an additional Sh171 in arrears insisting that they must get all their monies.
Reports indicate that Joho had asked them to first take the May payment and wait for the remaining bit but the workers have turned down the proposal.
“We are demanding to be paid two months’ salary arrears as per the Collective Bargaining Agreement. We cannot agree to be paid one month as proposed by the new county government,” said Margaret Abbasa a union official.
This is the second time this year the workers have gone on strike over pay.
Joho held a meeting with the workers union and vowed to address the matter after the county admitted that it was facing an inherited financial crisis.
The county government apparently inherited a Sh3 billion debt from the now defunct Mombasa Municipal Council.
The Nairobi County government had also faced similar concerns with workers boycotting work due to lack of payment.
The Nairobi County government also said that it had a financial crisis inherited from the former Nairobi City Council.
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