Do something to retain relevance of Labour Day

Millions of Kenyans are out of work or barely holding on to casual duties that whose definition to not come anywhere closer to a job. Economic assessments that talk of a rebounding economy only add insult to injury.

While the situation is gloomy for the jobless, it isn’t any better for those lucky enough to be in employment. Since the beginning of this year, several employees such as health workers, post office employees and several others have downed their tools demanding better pay.

Some laid-off workers have had to take new jobs with abysmal pay working beneath their skills. Other workers are toiling harder, for longer hours with a smaller pay cheque than they carried home in their previous duties.

Generally, this is the situation most Kenyan workers who attended the Labour Day celebrations in Nairobi Tuesday, in which Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka was guest of honour, find themselves.

The VP is a Member of Parliament, the President’s first deputy and Leader of Government Business has not spoken about the hefty perks that legislators have awarded themselves against all the laws of common decency.

Amidst all the economic gloom, our legislators have awarded themselves pension and gratuity, effectively breaking the law they are supposed to make.

It does not help matters that nobody dared to talk about inflation, which has eroded workers’ real worth and buying power during Tuesday’s function.

If you add the heavy tax burden that the Kenyan worker has to shoulder to the perils of our icy economy, you’ll probably understand why it pains when real issues that affect labours often escape attention during this important day. Perhaps the question we need to ask is: Who will save Kenyans from larceny of greedy and insensitive MPs?

Hefty benefits

Besides being insensitive to the plight of other workers, the latest move by MPs to award themselves hefty benefits negates attempts of the new Constitution to have salaries of all government officials set by an independent commission.

On the sides, poor workers are getting a pittance for wages while the government is grabbing a chunk of that earning even before it reaches the hands of the workers, through imposition of heavy taxes.

It is good that there should be at least one day each year to pause and lay down tools to enable labourers to come together, face to face to share ideas and even celebrate achievements and future possibility.

But unless something is done, May 1 will remain another irrelevant day on the calendar.