BY DICKENS WASONGA,

Union leaders from tea growing areas of Nyanza,Western and part of Rift valley on Surtaday joined COTU boss Francis Atwoli in demanding for negotiation bteeen workers in the tea factories or risk more losses as the ongoing strike entered its second week.

Speaking at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu Atwoli led the leaders who included shop stewards from Kericho, Tinderet, Sotik, and Nyamira zones into declaring their support for the strike and vowed to move on until the employers agree to sit on a negotiating table with them.

Atwoli also asked the striking workers to remain steadfast adding that COTU was ready to feed them throughout the striking period until their demands are met.

He at the same time lashed out at the MPs from the tea growing areas especially from Kisii and Rift Valley whom he accused of being compromised by the owners of the multinational factories not to champion the interest of the workers.

He said even the government was to blame for keeping quite over the issue of the introducrtion of machine in the sub sector which he said has pushed many people into poverty and joblesness.

Atwoli said the government pledged to create jobs and it was surprising for them to go silent on an issue which has seen many rendered redundant.
” These MPs are accepting bribes from these firms. I am not opposed to introduction of machines in the tea estates but I can not keep quiet while workers are sacked and replaced with machines at these multinational companies.”he said.

Atwoli said strike was legal because COTU issued the employers with a seven day notice as required by law and asked the police to keep off the strike. He said strike was recognised by the constitution and asked the employers not to victimise their employees adding that all they were doing was to demand their constitutional right.

The union leaders asked the directors of the multinational companies to swallow their pride and agree to negotiate with them or face tough times ahead.

The strike accasioned by the introduction of tea plucking machines has seen some shop stewards sacked and factories incurring heavy losses as aresult. Before he died , the former labour Minister Newton Kulundi allowed the factories to use the machines to do 30 per cent of their jobs but the COTU boss claimed they have since violated that provision.

ENDS.