Over 15,000 Tea workers from Multinational companies in Nandi county have held a demonstration protesting a move by Tea companies not to pay them 30% salary increment as it was directed by honorable Employment and Labour relations court following a CBA dispute between the Kenya plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) and the Kenya Tea Growers association (KTGA) on 20th June this month.
The workers denounced a move by the KTGA Chief Executive officer Apollo Kiarii that tea companies should pay the workers an increment of 5% due to high cost of production.
In a circular Memo presented to workers of KTGA and its member estates,the KTGA reviewed the full impact of the judgement and its effect to the sustainability of the business and as a result made to the court an application to stay the implementation of the order.
Tea pluckers led by Kenya plantation and Agricultural Workers Union deputy general secretary Thomas Kipkemboi and Nandi branch Secretary Eliakim Ochieng said that they will not accept nothing less than what the court awarded them.
The workers said that they are going to down their tools starting tomorrow until their demands are met.
It is said that the lawyers of both parties will be appearing before the judge on Tuesday 28th June 2016 to present their arguments on the application after which an appropriate order is expected to be made.
27 Jun