Joy as Mombasa port workers get pay hike

Mombasa, Kenya: Jubilation greeted the port of Mombasa after 5,100 unionisable workers got a raise in salaries and allowances.

Dock Workers Union (DWU) leaders announced a 12.5 per cent salary increase for the highest paid docker and 15 per cent for the lowest paid.

This marked the conclusion of the 2014/2015 Collective Bargaining Agreement talks, punctuated with disagreements between the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) management and the union, leading to a daylong strike at the port last week.

KPA Managing Director Gichiri Ndua has said normal operations have resumed after the strike that paralysed the busy port that serves the East Africa region.

“The situation is normal and negotiations are going on between the union and the management,” Ndua said.

There was a carnival mood as hundreds of dock workers thronged Bandari College where the new pay perks were announced by DWU General Secretary Simon Sang.

Sang said the CBA talks were concluded late on Friday last week and would be registered at the industrial court this week. The lowest paid docker will earn Sh27,690 up from Sh24,080 while the highest earning docker collects Sh80,516 up from Sh71,570.

House allowance rises from Sh12,000 for lowest paid dockers to Sh15,000 while the highest grade gets Sh29,000 instead of Sh25,500.

The contentious transport allowance, which resulted in a deadlock in the CBA negotiations leading to the devastating strike last week, has also gone up. The lowest earning docker gets Sh10,000 up from Sh7,000 while the highest worker earns Sh16,000 up from Sh12,000.

“The KPA was not ready to increase transport allowance and this item became the toughest one in the negotiations. We succeeded because of the solidarity from members that resulted in the strike action,” Sang said.