A worker's representative was on Thursday sacked by an Export Processing Zone (EPZ) company for allegedly inciting employees against the firm's management.
Joshua Muturi, a shop steward at New Wide Garment Kenya Epz Ltd Company and representative of the employees at Textile and Tailors Workers Union was sacked by the company's management a few days after the workers engaged in demonstrations at the company over his suspension.
The over 3,000 workers had downed their tools to demand Muturi's reinstatement. Muturi had been issued with a four-day suspension letter then, for allegedly inciting the workers before holding the demos.
This led to temporary closure of the company after the workers refused to heed instructions and requests from its management forcing the firm use anti-riot police from Athi River and Kitengela police stations to eject them from the company's premises.
The company's MD Rudolf Isinga told the press the problem started when the unionist shouted at a line manager within the company. The manager had allegedly sought to know why some employees were not able to meet the production's set targets.
He said it was at the management's discretion to either reinstate or sack the suspended workers' representative and therefore the demonstrations would not compromise their decisions on the unionist's fate.
Isinga expressed his fears that the company might not achieve its production targets if it reinstated the shop steward arguing discipline has to be instilled in the firm, a reason he attributed to the decision reached in sacking Muturi.
He said the company lost over 100,000 US Dollars within the two days it had closed due to the stalemate. He feared the loss might go up stating the company cannot recover it easily.
Muturi, who addressed the press separately, dismissed the allegations claiming the management was out to frustrate him for his efforts to agitate for the workers' rights.
He said he would seek legal redress from the industrial court against his sacking terming it unconstitutional.