• “We have seen cases where investors employ workers on a seasonal basis, meaning that they cannot get the annual pay rise or leave as per the labour laws,” Juma said.
• However, the farmers have defended themselves attributing the move to the harsh economic times.
Some flower farms in Naivasha have changed the employment terms of their workers to contractual and casual to avoid reviewing their salaries.
Their union leaders have protested the move to employ workers on a six-month contract saying it locks them out of future benefits.
The leaders spoke during the commemoration of Labour Day on Sunday.
However, the farmers have defended themselves attributing the move to the harsh economic times.
The Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union accused some farms of intentionally doing this with the contracts ending just when salaries were about to be reviewed.
KPAWU secretary general Naivasha branch Ferdinand Juma said the new trend is meant to lock out workers from being represented by the trade union.
Juma said seasonal workers are not entitled to pay rise and other benefits, awarded to permanent employees.
“We have seen cases where investors employ workers on a seasonal basis, meaning that they cannot get the annual pay rise or leave as per the labour laws,” he said.
Juma said the union can only do little when it comes to seasonal workers as they are not members of KPAWU terming the trend as common since the pandemic hit the country.
“The ongoing exercise to employ workers on contract basis is well-planned and meant to lock out the union and phase out the issue of annual pay increase,” he said.
Chairman Kenya Export, Floriculture, Horticulture and Allied Workers Union Peter Pallang’a said the pandemic had affected both the employers and employees.
He said they are keen to work amicably with the employers while cushioning the workers who for years had been oppressed.
“Despite the recent pandemic we need to review the workers' terms and conditions of payment and this can be resolved by amending the archaic labour laws,” Pallang’a said.
He said the union was keen to avoid demonstrations and court battles with employers terming them as expensive and a waste of man hours.
“Many workers mainly in the flower and fruit farms are still earning low wages and we are keen to address that,” the chairman said.
Speaking earlier, the CEO Kenya Flower Council Clement Tulezi defended the farmers saying many were yet to fully recover from the pandemic.
“The profit margin for the farmers has been reduced sharply due to the rise in the cost of production in the last one year,” he said.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)