Over 400 workers of the Kenya Meat Commission in Athi River on Wednesday downed their tools complaining of not being paid for three months.
The employees, who addressed the press at the company's compound, said they had just started a go slow because the management had failed to pay them their salaries for the months of July, August and September.
"We have been seriously engaged in production at this company for the last three months despite the fact that the company's management has not paid workers’ salaries for the months of July, August and September," said their spokesman Mr Joshua Kasina.
Kasina said the management has instead for the last three weeks been issuing retrenchment and sacking threats whenever they seek to know why they had not received the payments.
"We are tired of sacking and retrenchment threats from the Kenya Meat Commission's management. Let the workers be paid their pending salaries so that the firm effects the retrenchment and sackings," said Kasina.
Kasina said the management had promised to effect the payments in early August but failed to do so prompting the employees to lose patience.
"We were initially promised the payments in early August. This never came to pass and we are now past mid September without any communication from the company's management on the issue," noted Kasina.
Kasina said the company had money in its accounts noting that early this year, the company received a grant of Sh700 million from the government for salaries, retrenchment and its restructuring to ensure production efficiency and the firm's sustainability.
"The Sh700 million grant from the government early this year was meant for paying workers' salaries, effecting retrenchment and restructuring of the company for efficiency in production. Why the delays then," Kaisina wondered.
They said they would not accept anything less than their three months salaries arguing most of them had been evicted from their rental houses for failing to settle accrued rent.
The newly appointed KMC managing commissioner Mr Joseph Learamo, who addressed the irate workers tried to calm and convince them to return to work in vain.
Learamo retreated to his offices when his efforts became futile.
"He said he was going to call the Ministry of Agriculture for intervention. What kind of managing commissioner is he? He should go there in person instead of making fruitless phone calls," said Kaisina.
Learamo declined to talk to the press. He kept making phone calls in front of his offices as workers watched from a distance.