The Nakuru industrial court has ordered workers who were dismissed by Unilever Tea Company on allegations of sexual offences to immediately vacate the company premises.
The court termed the continuous presence of the five sacked workers in the staff quarters as a threat to other occupants of the premises.
Justice Byram Ongaya issued the orders during the hearing of a case filed by the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) challenging eviction of the workers from staff quarters.
Lawyer Esther Opiyo, for Unilever, told the court that the workers were dismissed after committing serious sexual offences within the company.
Opiyo said the workers violated the company’s Code of Business Principles (CBP) by allegedly engaging in sexual offences acts which include defilement and sexual harassment of minors. The minors, allegedly, were children of other employees.
Justice Ongaya, however, ordered the company to provide housing or pay them housing allowances beginning August 1 pending hearing and determination of the case scheduled for September 24.
“We are aware of their appeal for dismissal and the respondent is ready to pay their housing allowances or provide them with accommodation,” the company’s lawyer told the court.
KPAWU had challenged the eviction claiming the CBP was not brought to the attention of the employees and was not part of the collective bargaining agreement.
Central Organization of Trade Union secretary general Francis Atwoli had told the court that Unilever Tea subjected dismissed workers to untold suffering after eviction orders were issued to them.