By ISAIAH LUCHELI
Central Organisation of Trade Union (Cotu) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has said he does not support MPs’ arbitrary pay hikes.
Mr Atwoli said he was only opposed to the attempt by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to slash the legislators’ salaries.
“No public servant has a right to set his or her own salary because this would amount to stealing from the ordinary mwananchi (tax payer), but at the same time no employer has a right to reduce the salary of his employee. Wages are globally protected,” said the secretary general.
Atwoli explained that wages of employees all over the world are protected and cautioned that slashing of MPs’ pay may lead to other employers following suit.
He added that Kenya was a signatory to the International Labour Organisation Convention and had domesticated the provisions of Convention number 95, which protects wages.
As the country marks Labour Day today, Atwoli added that the slashing of the salaries would greatly undermine the achievements the labour movement had made in the country in protecting remuneration of workers.
On achievements, he explained that the previous government had in the past ten years reviewed upwards the minimum wage for workers every year and had knighted several union members for their exemplary work.
“Despite the challenges and the turbulent times we have gone through as a union, we have made huge strides in improving the working terms of the Kenyan worker. We must protect the gains,” he said.
Atwoli explained that the labour movement in Kenya could only be compared to Cosatu of South Africa and promised that the union will continue to fight for the rights of workers of all cadres.
