Kazungu Kambi to preside over launch of second national labour union

By Stephen Makabila

Kenya: Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi will on Tuesday preside over the official launch of the country’s second national labour union.

The new union will now officially rival the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu), which has presided over the trade union movement in post-independence Kenya.

On Saturday, Kambi told The Standard on Sunday the creation of a second labour union in the country had been long overdue.

The minister confirmed to The Standard on Sunday that he would attend the launch of Public Service Trade Unions (Pusetu) on Tuesday as part of his efforts to bring sanity in the labour movement.

“I will attend the launch, because my interest is to see organised labour movements in the country and we need to bring sanity to them and encourage all stake holders to work together,” said Kambi.

He said there was no labour centre that was bigger than the other and would encourage the two to respect one another.

“This is not like in the animal farm where some animals are more equal than the others, both COTU and Pusetu are equal and we will encourage them to work harmoniously as they seek to improve the status of their members,” said Kambi.

The launch of the Federation of Pusetu, however opens a fresh battleground on fast tracking of ratification of International Labour Organisation (ILO’s) Convention no 87.

It also creates two centres of power in the trade union movement barely three weeks before the country marks this years Labour Day celebration.

Pusetu Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya told The Standard on Sunday in an interview that all was set for the launch, with Kambi having personally confirmed attendance.

“Apart from matching through the streets of Nairobi by our members, who number over 700,000, there will be speeches at the KICC,” said Dr Mukhwaya, who doubles up as the Secretary General of the Kenya Universities Staff Union.

Comfortably accommodated

Cotu has also indicated it is not interested in clashing with Pusetu during the launch.

“It would be unfortunate for Cotu and its leadership to engage in any such invaluable shadow-boxing and clashes with Pusetu because as an organisation, we have even a bigger role top play globally,” said Benson Okwara, Cotu Assistant Secretary General. Kambi said they would agree on how the Labour Day celebrations programme will run and assured both unions that they will be comfortably accommodated.

A member of the Pusetu board, Kenya National Union of Teachers Secretary General Wilson Sossion has noted Pusetu will go out flat to ensure the ILO Convention 87 is ratified by Kenya.

“All surrounding countries like Uganda and Tanzania have ratified this convention. What is unique with Kenya? We want it to be ratified solely by parliament and not through other machinations by Cotu, which may alter some parts of it,” said Mr Sossion.

Lawyer Gertrude Angote, the Executive Director of Kituo Cha Sheria, an LSK Council member, said having two labour centres would not weaken bargaining powers of unions.

Every union is independent and determines its own programmes and events, and can bargain separately with the Government and the employers. After a court battle, the Registrar was ordered to register Pusetu as a new labour centre to take charge of public service trade unions.

Pusetu Vice-Chairman Sammy Kubasu, who doubles up as Uasu national chairman, says there is no conflict of interest between the two labour centres.

“While we Pusetu represent unions under the public service, Cotu can represent unions in the private sector. We did not form Pusetu to fight Atwoli,” said Prof Kubasu.

Cotu will tomorrow hold a Press conference at its headquarters on Labour Day preparations.

“Atwoli will address a Press conference on labour preparations tomorrow at 11am,” said his Personal Assistant Adams Baraza.