Politics and fraud claims tearing down Dock Workers Union

Congestion of containers at the port of Mombasa in 2008. Traders are question the drop in cargo import at the port of Mombasa, December 08, 2016. [PHOTO BY GIDEON MAUNDU/STANDARD]

Wrangles within the giant Dock Workers Union (DWU) have escalated in recent months ahead of Saturday’s Annual General Meeting expected to be all but smooth.

The union’s 4,800 members are expected to crack the whip on the worsening contest between union Secretary General Simon Sang and a faction led by Chairman Mohamed Sheria.

The AGM was to take place last weekend but was suddenly postponed, sparking protests and claims of conspiracy.

Now, both factions have vowed to oust their rivals, with each group claiming to have the support of the majority of members. Independent watchers say this split is motivated by greed, politics and egos and could weaken the powerful union irredeemably.

Sang has openly allied himself to DP William Ruto and Jubilee while Sheria’s group is in open association with NASA, its presidential candidate Raila Odinga and nominated MP Wilson Sossion, who also leads TUC Kenya which DWU briefly joined two years ago.

Political differences

Some members fear the wrangles are working to the advantage of the port management which might feel inclined to enter labour policies against workers without fear of retribution.

The two factions have been fighting over political differences, corruption allegations and struggle for control of funds and impending privatisation of some functions at the Port of Mombasa.

Sang has since suspended the Sheria group, accusing it of violating the union’s constitution. Sheria and his group have rejected the suspension, accusing Sang of witch-hunt. He says such suspension should have been made by an AGM or special conference, not Sang who was elected like them.

The brawl intensified three months ago as the country approached the August 8 General Election, when the union’s tribunal appointed by Sang came up with a report recommending the expulsion of Sheria, vice chairman Gunda Kaneno and treasurer Joseph Makero over alleged misconduct, absconding duty and campaigning on the shop floor among other charges.

The squabbles have since been linked to the General Election after Sang openly sided with Jubilee and Ruto while Sheria threw his weight behind Raila and NASA.

Sheria and his group instead accuse Sang of corruption and pledged to oust him at the next AGM or convince the general membership to dissolve the DWU board altogether and call fresh elections at the union.

DWU represents employees of Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) and Kenya Ferry Services (KFS).

When the AGM aborted last weekend, both sides pointed an accusing finger at each other. Sheria’s side claimed Sang was running away from meeting members to address the wrangles that have allegedly stalled the negotiation of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) for port workers.

“The union’s constitution demands that an AGM be held every September but Sang has failed to do so for four years now. We want the DWU board dissolved and fresh elections called to end the wrangles,” said Joseph Wanaikai, a member allied to Sheria.

Funds misuse

Another member Mohamed Chilemba claimed union funds were being misused since Sheria’s group was suspended and demanded the immediate reinstatement of Mr Sheria and his team.

“We demand that a special conference be called within seven days and reinstatement of the suspended officials so that CBA negotiations can commence,” said Chilemba.

Mr Sang said last Saturday’s AGM was postponed because of a court injunction freezing the union’s bank account had delayed withdrawal of Sh500,000 to organise the meeting.

The hurdle, he said, has since been resolved. “The postponement of the AGM is not a big issue now. Those implicated in the report of the tribunal should prepare for face the members. They do not have the numbers,” Sang said.

“We are prepared for the AGM where we will explain our position to the members. The decision to suspend us was ill-advised and we will prove this to the members,” Sheria told Saturday Standard.

He claimed some forces in the union were fighting his efforts to stop planned privatisation of second container terminal and save jobs and urged members to use the forthcoming AGM to remove the “stumbling blocks”.

Sang said dockers were worried that the privatisation of the port, which could cut down the workforce from 7,338 to 2,500 had only been suspended after its gazettement and that the union was still in talks with the state to avoid loss of jobs.

Other contentious issues under negotiation include request for reinstatement of 28 union officials sacked three years ago for participating in a strike over National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) rates, double taxation in house allowance, harmonisation on the Pay As You Earn (Paye),  transport allowance, bonus and leave transport allowance.

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