Flower farms put workers on contracts

Workers from Naivasha based Maridadi flower farm prepare roses for export. [Antony Gitonga, Standard]

Flower farmers in Naivasha are opting for seasonal employment in a bid to reduce the cost of labour.

Expensive labour has been identified as one of the biggest challenges facing the horticultural sector.

But Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) has condemned the move noting that it was denying workers retirement benefits. Flower farmers decry the cost of labour, electricity, fertilizer and air freight charges.

According to Ferdinand Juma, the KPAWU secretary-general Naivasha branch, the new trend was meant to lock out workers from being represented by the trade union.

Speaking during a consultative meeting, Juma noted the seasonal workers were not entitled to a pay rise and other benefits which are awarded only to permanent employees.

Pay rise

"We have seen cases where investors are employing workers on a seasonal basis meaning that they cannot get the annual pay rise or leave as per the labour laws," he said.

Juma added that the union could do little when it came to seasonal workers as they were not members of KPAWU terming the trend as common in many farms.

"The ongoing exercise to employ workers on contract basis is well-planned and meant to lock out the union and phase out the issue of annual pay increase," he said.

He added that the impasse around the increase in NSSF contributions had also raised tension in the sector with many farmers saying that they could not afford the new rates.

An expert in the sector Samson Okumu said that harsh economic times mainly in Europe had eroded the purchasing powers of consumers and hence the budgetary cuts by the farmers.

"Gone are the days that flower farmers used to make millions in profit and many are barely surviving with the new taxes with the rising cost of farm inputs worsening the situation," he said.

Speaking earlier, the CEO of Kenya Flower Council (KFC) Clement Tulezi accused the government of double-speak and failure to address the challenges facing the sector.