More than 800 workers of the Athi River based London Distillers (K) Limited on Wednesday held peaceful demonstrations against a human resources contractor allegedly hired by the company.
The employees claimed the contractor, whose company was not well known to them had stopped 200 casuals who had been hired on contract by the London Distillers (K) Limited two weeks ago from working.
They said the contractor had scraped off all allowances that were being issued to the casuals by the company prior to its engagement, reducing their monthly salaries from Sh10, 800 to Sh5,000.
“The newly engaged contractor which London Distillers has engaged to hire and manage workers has adversely violated rights of the workers, it has scraped off all the allowances we used to enjoy such as house, travel, security, health and hardship allowances,” said Mr John Omondi, a worker.
The employees who had barricaded the main road to the company using stones and burnt several motor vehicle tires in front of its entrance demanded that the contractor be gotten rid of to enable them continue working under the company’s management directly without any middle man.
Kenya Union of Commercial Food and Allied Workers Athi River Branch Secretary, Simon Kimeu, condemned the said contractor for frustrating the local workers.
“We will not accept our children to get frustrated, the employees were only given one letter stating that shifts will be introduced, not that a contractor will be incorporated to manage the workers,” said Mr Kimeu.
Mr Kimeu said that the company must pay all its workers their salaries in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and desist from unfair labour practices with immediate effect.
“We cannot condone unfair labor practices in London Distillers Limited, the company’s management want to change the contracts and CBA,” he said.
The permanent employees who joined the casual workers in the strike thereby paralysing operations in the company vowed to stand in solidarity with them until the contractor was gotten rid of.
Kimeu threatened that the union would move to court to oppose the employment malpractices in the company if it fails to disengage the contractor.