Kericho leaders slam Finlays flowers move to shut down two farms

Members of Parliament and the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (Kpawu) have slammed Finlays flowers company for scheming to fire 1,700 by closing Chemirei and Tarakwet flower farms.

Belgut MP Nelson Koech, his Ainamoi counterpart Slyvanous Maritim together with Kericho Kpawu secretary general Dickson Sang dismissed, the decision by Finlays Flowers shut down its operation two of its flower farms.

They argued that the decision to terminate operations at the two farms which totals to 70 hectors was a public relations product designed to pave way to new terms through the employing workers for its Lemotit farm in Londiani. 

“The closure of Chemirei and Tarakwet flower farms is a deliberate move to punish the overexploited workers by using their rightful earned benefits to pay them off and hire new employees in 2021,” said Sang.

The Kericho Kpawu branch secretary general pointed out that the press release from Finlays Flowers General Manager Scott Evans was a clear indication that the company was fighting the workers’ union. 

“The letter stated that the parties’ recognition agreement will come to an end in the year 2020 because if at all they are closing, then the recognition agreement should just end naturally other than remind the other party,” said Sang. 

On his part, Koech argued that it doesn’t make sense for the United Kingdom based company to announce plans to terminate employees in its two flower farms and continue to run its Limotit farm in Londiani in Kipkelion East constituency 

“I don’t get the rationale,” he Said.

The Belgut legislator urged Finlays Flowers management to sit down with the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (Kpawu) as well as the county government and strike an amicable agreement.

“Even if the company is determined to close operations on the farms. It should declare the amount workers are going to get as benefits resulting from their than to simply declare that it was closing shop and move to another location for the same business,” said Koech.

Maritim, on the other hand took on Unilever tea company for revising tea pluckers wages. 

“Not only has the company introduced mechanised tea harvesting but has also revised the wages for the pluckers handling the machines from Sh2 to Sh5 per kilogram of tea without giving valid reasons is to push the residents to the extreme,” he said.

The Ainamoi MP called on the government to conduct comprehensive report on the tea plucking machines.

“The law must state clearly the hours a tea plucker can pull the machines. The days in a week and that the pay must be calculated based on hours,” said Maritim.