The Kenya Union of Sugarcane Planters and Allied Workers has accused new managers running state-owned sugar factories of breaching a government-backed transition agreement by slashing salaries and victimising employees.
Union secretary-general Francis Wangara said in Kisumu that some private operators now managing Chemelil, Nzoia, Sony and Muhoroni sugar factories under the government’s leasing arrangement were disregarding the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed before they took over the plants.
The MOU, he said, required that workers retain the same salaries they previously earned under government management questioning why the leasing firms were doing the contrary.
“Some employers have reduced workers’ salaries by up to 50 per cent. This is totally unacceptable and contrary to what we agreed in the MOU. If any employer feels they cannot pay those salaries, it is high time they throw in the towel and move elsewhere,” he said.
He added that the salary cuts were unjustified and appeared to be driven by an intention to generate higher profits at the expense of workers.
The Secretary General disclosed that none of the operators had provided any reason for the pay cuts reading a sinister motive behind the move.
“They have never indicated why they are slashing salaries. They think they should slash salaries and make huge profits. That is what they are up to,” he said.
“Salary once earned becomes personal. You cannot engage a person to do the same job and pay them half of what they have been earning. That is irregular and cannot be tolerated,” he added.
Wangara also raised concern over the misuse of a directive allowing factories to reduce their labour force by 20 per cent.
He said the reduction was expected to be achieved through voluntary exits, including natural attrition and retirement, but some new operators were victimising workers, including union officials.
“Some employers are not taking back union officials, which is against International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention 135 that protects workers’ representatives. They must all transit with the rest of the employees. We are not going to allow anybody to be left out,” he said.
He accused certain managers of arrogance and failing to engage constructively with workers, a move he said was going to derail the government’s plan to revitalise the struggling firms.
“Any employer who will be arrogant to the worker should not blame us if the worker turns physical,” he warned, insisting the union was not inciting violence but cautioning that disrespect in the workplace could spark unrests.
Wangara reminded the managers that the factories remain government property and have only been leased, not sold. He said the union would ask the government to remove any operator who disrespects workers or violates the MOU.
“These companies remain government property. Anyone behaving as if they have bought these companies should be replaced. We have so many investors who have shown interest,” he said.
The union now wants the government to intervene, warning that it will place the offending companies on a list of shame both locally and internationally if they continue frustrating workers.
“We don’t want enslavement of employees. The government gave these companies to be run for the betterment of the sector, not to frustrate workers,” he said.
Wangara who was flanked by senior KUSPA officials from sugarcane growing zones said the union will present the concerns at the next meeting of the transition committee and insisted that all employees, including union leaders, must be retained as agreed.
By Chris Mahandara
