Unilever tea workers resume work

The Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KWAPU) has agreed on a return to work formula, that will see Unilever Tea Kenya Limited workers resume duty on Monday after downing their tools over an escalating pay row with the firm.

Over 20,000 striking employees are expected to return to work immediately after the employer acknowledged pending issues on implementation of the collective bargaining agreement for the year 2014/2015 in a meeting held on Monday in Kisumu.

The employees who have been on strike for two weeks will not receive remuneration for the period that as required by law while receiving an implementation of a 10 per cent intervening pay rise by August 15, 2016.

Speaking at Tom Mboya Labor College after a round table meeting with the firm’s top management, KWAPU said negotiations will proceed to a follow up meeting at the labor cabinet secretary’s office in Nairobi on Wednesday to have conclusive discussions on the CBAs.

“Workers will immediately resume work on an interim return to work formula agreed on as we proceed to finalizing agreements for the CBAs on Wednesday with the labor cabinet secretary in Nairobi,” said KWAPU.

KWAPU had last week at Kericho Green Stadium accused Unilever of ignoring a court order to give laborers a 30 per cent pay increment and threatened to marshal workers to continue staying off duty if the company failed to table an offer by the end of the week.

Unilever managing director Mr. Duncan Stickler said the employees were welcomed back to their duties with assurance that neither they nor the union shall victimize any of them as subject to the law.

“We are committed to have a constructive engagement with the ministry and have the forthcoming deliberations on the pending CBAs for this year successful to have smooth running and no employees will be ill-treated on resumption of duty,” said Mr. Stickler.