By Agwanda Saye

THE Central Organization of Trade Unions has called for an immediate review of the current constitution noting that the document is totally unworkable.

Its secretary general Francis Atwoli said yesterday the new constitution is itself jumbled up hence making it completely untenable.

Atwoli said that the constitution has so many structures making very expensive to maintain and implement at the end of the day.

He said the current standoff between the senate and the national assembly was a result of the new constitution.

Atwoli noted that it is very difficult to distinguish between the lower and the upper house the unending standoff between the two arms of the government.

“The senate as we speak today has no powers to veto parliament hence making it irrelevant” he said.

Atwoli was speaking at the Tom Mboya labour college in Kisumu during the launch of as course for students from the Tanzanian Union of teachers and local ones from the hotel industry.

He said the only option which Kenyans have is a review of the constitution noting tat it has too many structures yet some other counties are too poor to sustain themselves.

Atwoli said only a few counties like Kisumu and Nairobi can only sustain them.

He said some counties have to be merged in order to be sustainable.

The trade unionist said some positions such as ministries do not serve much at the county level.

He said the government should revert to the old special system noting the current intelligence service in ineffective.

Atwoli also called for the strengthening of the provincial administration.

Atwoli said that the government should create jobs for the youths in order to avoid a looming time bomb.

He said many young people are jobless adding that even graduates are now cycle operators due to unemployment.

Atwoli at the same time cautioned Nairobi governor Evans against sacking workers.

He instead impressed upon Kidero to look for money since the city is very viable.

Atwoli said sacking 5000 workers would affect 25, 000 family members.

He said the government should crack down on manufacturers who have been evading pay taxes.

“This people did not remit 200 million to the government last year” he said.

Atwoli said COTU and the government have solved the stand off between and workers over the NSSF bill.

He said COTU and the FKE have the highest representative of workers and employers and will have two slots at the NSSF board.

Ends.