Over 400 flower farm workers from Naivasha down tools

NAIVASHA, KENYA: Over 400 workers from one of the leading flower farms in Naivasha downed tools over poor pay and working conditions as the crisis in the flower sector deepened.

The workers from Kreative Roses located inside the Flower Business Park were kicked out of farm by anti-riot police officers before taking to the Nairobi-Nakuru highway.

The strike comes months after Karuturi flower farm closed door sending home over 2,500 workers while the nearby Oserian flower farm laid-off another 500 workers.

The companies have sited harsh working conditions, high cost of labor and poor European Union (EU) market as some of the major challenges that they are facing.

In Kreative farm, the workers accused the management of failing to remit their statutory deductions like NSSF and NHIF for the last two years.

According to one of the workers Evelyn Oside, they were undergoing through untold suffering under the current management.

She said that they were being forced to use their own cash while seeking treatment as the company had failed to remit their NHIF deductions.

"We have been kicked out and told that the farm has been closed down and all we are demanding for is our rightful dues," she said.

Oside added that they were getting Sh5,800 per month adding that the farm had refused to effect the 25 percent increase in salaries as agreed under their Collective Bargaining Agreement.