DP William Ruto will hold final talks with the divided 6,000-member Dock Workers’ Union on ratifying its decision to support Jubilee in August.
The session late this month is likely to be stormy. Not all members agree and say union leadership cannot impose a candidate on them.
The meeting will focus on work, campaigns and review of earlier Jubilee pledges. Jubilee is wooing the union and trying to make inroads in Mombasa and other Coast counties perceived to be opposition strongholds. The DWU has a nationwide membership.
Its source of power is not only at the ballot, but also its ability to challenge corporations and government at the workplace. The labour movement has the potential to reach out to millions of voters. This explains why Jubilee is keen to win its support.
Ruto’s last talks with DWU officials were in mid-November. He promised to resolve issues raised by the union, some with far-reaching implications.
This comes as union chairman Mohamed Sheria says they are not keen on affiliating with any political party. The decision to back a party can only be made by the majority of the members at a special conference, he said.
Secretary general Simon Sang, however, says the government has delivered on some of its promises to the union and deserves its support.
“Already, some of the promises have been effected and he [Ruto] will be looking to streamline the working relationship,” he said Wednesday.
He said a parallel promotion scheme of service for Kenya Ports Authority employees has been implemented. The scheme recognises competence, experience and long service.
It operates alongside the one-sided, academic-oriented scheme of service currently in place.
Ruto promised the government will review PAYE, especially where double taxation is evident. He said it would spread taxation to cover more taxpayers and reinstate union officials, who were dismissed in 2015 for going on strike against new NHIF rates.
Sacked staff to be rehired
“Negotiations are ongoing and the 28 sacked staff will be reinstated by month’s end. The government process is bureaucratic and it requires thorough consultation with the Labour and other relevant ministries,” Sang told the Star on the phone.
He said the government will stop privatisation of the second container terminal and instead adopt developed nations’ port model.
Despite Sang’s assurance that the government has resolved many of their grievances, some union members say little has been done.
They cite an earlier promise by President Uhuru Kenyatta to seal a deal with the union when he visited during the December-January holidays. This did not happen, they said. This seems to have created tension within the union.
Some members accuse the government of being unwilling to act promptly. As a result, the upcoming meeting is expected to be stormy as the DP will be meeting with a seriously divided union.
But Sang expressed confidence Ruto’s promises will be kept in due time. He said campaigning for JP is for the benefit of workers and they must do it. He said he is determined to deliver members’ votes to the last man.
“We are monitoring Kenya trade union trends. In 2013, we voted differently. In 2017, our aim is for the DWU to vote as a bloc, for the benefit of workers, not the President,” he said.
Sang said the union will be used as a platform to push a working-class agenda. He said, “World over, unions supporting ruling parties benefit immensely and strikes have been halted.”