Francis Atwoli tells tea workers to keep pushing

Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary General Francis Atwoli Photo:Courtesy

As the tea workers' strike enters day three, a unionist has urged them not to back down. 

Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary General Francis Atwoli told the workers to continue pushing to have multinational tea companies adhere to a collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

The 40,000 tea workers under the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) and drawn from Unilever and Finlays tea companies downed their tools on Monday after the expiry of a seven-day notice issued by Mr Atwoli on October 11.

Atwoli called on the workers to withdraw their services after the collapse of a conciliatory meeting between KPAWU and Kenya Tea Growers Association, mediated by the labour commissioner.

The tea companies' management owes the workers a balance of 15 per cent of the 2015 CBA.