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By Jackson Okoth
Kenya: It will now be possible for a worker to determine whether the employer is following the minimum wage guidelines. This follows the launch of an online platform that automatically gives feedback once a form is filled out.
The Netherlands-based Wage Indicator Foundation in partnership with the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) and the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) launched the minimum wage compliance initiative yesterday.
This online platform will check compliance with the requirements of Kenya’s labour laws, starting with the minimum wage.
The forms are available for use to the general public on mywage.org/Kenya, Africapay.org/Kenya.
“The online complaint form will reduce the backlog at the industrial Court where there are cases that could be resolved at the workplace level,” said Jacqueline Mugo, FKE Chief Executive Officer.
“The idea is to use this complaint form in order to address the situation of those working individuals who are not earning the minimum wage that they are legally entitled.”
Mugo reckons that the legal route of resolving labour disputes is lengthy with information hard to come by from employers.
According to FKE, the procedure is simple: all a worker needs to do is look up the form online, fill it up and submit.
The technical staff at WageIndicator will then create on a daily basis an overview of all complaint forms and forward the same to FKE and COTU. This will speed up the process of dispute resolution and court litigation. “This is an electronic way of finding solutions to the long queues of workers filing complaints with labour officers,” said COTU Deputy Secretary General George Muchai.
It is expected that domestic workers as well as numerous casual workers in industrial area, will benefit immensely from the system.
The platform will also eliminate corrupt practices by labour officers, especially those who fail to remit arrears payment to complainants after the dispute is resolved at the court.
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