NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 16 – Central Organization for Trade Union (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has called for an amendment to the Work Injury Benefits Act to compel employers to compensate employees who get injured or die in the line of work.
Speaking during the marking of domestic workers day on Thursday, Atwoli said having such a law will ensure that victims of work-related accidents do not go through a lot of channels including courts while seeking compensation.
Atwoli noted that most employees have missed out on compensation due to lack of a law.
“The incoming 13th Parlaiment should amend the Work Injury Benefits Act and incorporate Occupational Health And Safety as part of fundamental princples and rights at work. This will make it compulsory for employers to compensate their affected employees,” stated Atwoli.
Atwoli’s proposal comes few weeks after a family of a man who was an employee of a steel firm was burned to death in a furnace, rejected a compensation package offered by the firm.
The management of Thika-based Blue Nile Rolling Mills Limited had initially offered the family of Caleb Otieno Sh420,000, an offer which was met with outrage.
According to the company the payment was not to be made at once, but in installments of Ksh 7,000 for five years.
The family resorted to having the compensation package determined by the courts after talks collapsed.
