History has it that most, if not all democracies worldwide have tirelessly fought by workers via their organised trade.
In Kenya, trade unionists like the late Tom Mboya were at the forefront during the struggle for Kenya’s Independence, hence workers should not be left behind in the deliberation.
The Building Bridges Initiative report has very good and fundamental proposals that if implemented, shall tremendously buttress workers’ terms of service and remunerations by providing fair parameters for rewarding and compensation of labour supplied to employers.
This will include an opportunity for workers, through their umbrella Cotu, to present their memorandum to the team of experts to amicably deal with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission. Therefore, workers through Atwoli should throw their weight behind the report to ensure their woes are also addressed as the rest of the country is fighting to get better lives through the BBI.
Peace and industrial harmony are the cardinal pillars and catalysts to productivity and economic growth of any country and Kenya is no exception. Since inception, the SRC has regulated CBA negotiations and implementations as envisaged the Kenyan Constitution. It has resorted to untold counterintuitive and counterproductive circulars infringing trade unions rights to bargain with employers.
Workers should present their views to the BBI task force to establish proper guidelines on SRC’s powers, functions and limits with regard to CBA negotiations and other circulars touching on civil servants and public officers.
World over, tripartite social dialoguing and advocacy are the most modest approach trade unions have resorted to as opposed to a confrontation.
National Trustee, Ketawu
