KBC staff call off strike

By Online Reporter

Kenya Broadcasting Corporation staff have called off a five-day strike after a reconciliation meeting chaired by Minister Samuel Poghisio with an agreement that no employee would be victimized because of the strike.

Employees of the public broadcaster went on strike last Wednesday to demand better pay. The employees also demanded to be paid overtime allowance arrears amounting to Sh360 million.

They had vowed not to return to work until their demands are met.

The employees had vowed to paralyse operations at the station including live coverage of the release of Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations results on February 29.

Their spokesperson Vincent Lempaa said they wanted better pay. "We should be paid like other state corporation workers," he said. The employees have been threatening to go on strike over poor pay, among other grievances and presented their memorandum to the Managing Director, Mr Waithaka Waihenya.

In January, they gave the management an ultimatum to address their grievances failure to which they would down their tools.

Among their demands, is a comprehensive medical cover for all staff, ensuring gender balance in recruitment and ensuring financial autonomy of the corporation.

The workers want the management to increase their pay by 500 per cent and streamline promotion and recruitment of workers. They claim that some promotions and recruitments have not been based on merit.

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