NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 22 –The Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) has demanded that the James Finlay and Unilever tea companies cease using contractors to outsource labour.
The union instead wants the tea firms to offer direct employment to all contracted employees.
KPAWU which is affiliated to the Central Organization of Trade Unions(COTU) issued the statement days following an explosive BBC expose that uncovered cases of sexual abuse in Kericho tea farms.
COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli who serves KPAWU in a similar capacity said Wednesday that the revelations by the BBC have exposed the dangers of outsourced labour given the two companies opted to use the estate managers to outsource labour.
“Outsourcing of labour affects the rights and welfare of workers considering they work at the mercy of contracted companies and not the parent company,” Atwoli said.
KPAWU further demanded that James Finlay and Unilever bring to an end tactics that discourage workers from joining unions for better representation and advocacy.
Atwoli further said that both companies must ensure all their workers enjoy their constitutional rights under Article 41 which provides for fair remuneration, reasonable working conditions, right to joining a union and negotiating Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBA)
He went on to ask both companies to go beyond apologizing and issuing crisis communication and instead pay damages and compensation to the affected workers in addition to unionizing all their employees.
Unionize plantation workers
The COTU SG asked the government to move with speed and ratify ILO Convention 190 on the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work.
“Governments that ratify C190 will be required to put in place the necessary laws and policy measures to prevent and address violence and harassment in the world of work,” he said.
He made the statement hours after Kericho Governor Eric Mutai directed the county’s health facilities to offer free private counselling services to victims of sexual abuse in tea plantations.
Governor Mutai, in a joint press conference with Members of the Kericho County Assembly, on Wednesday condemned the incidents of sex for work being subjected to women seeking and working in the tea plantations, as exposed by BBC.
The Governor also called for immediate arrest of mentioned culprits.
“We are calling for a comprehensive response to address both current and historical injustices. Directing the health facilities to offer free private counseling to victims as the assembly suspends house business today to discuss the way forward on this serious matter,” Governor Mutai stated.
