Nyansiongo tea factory has sent home a number of employees in a bid to reduce recurrent expenditure that is said to be ‘unaffordable’ given the diminishing tea prices in the global market.
This comes at a time when farmers attached to the company complained of the management’s decision to increase tax in a bid to sustain the employees in the county.
Speaking on Tuesday at the factory’s headquarters, human resource manager James Kinyanjui said the decision to retrench over 40 workers -- drivers, tea clerks and casual workers -- due to ‘excess’ which was realised during the discussion.
“We are sad to inform the public that the company is undergoing financial crisis and that is why we needed to take the decision to retrench a number of employees. The tea prices at the international market are diminishing and that is why we had to take the decision,” he said.
According to him, the employees will receive their packages and reiterated a possibility of reinstating them when the company picks its profits to the optimum level.
“Although we have given the letters, that doesn’t mean that we will forget about it. They might be recalled when we start picking up. We know all will be well soon and that was unexpected move but please let's abide by it,” he added.
However, a section of workers who had received the dismissal letters accused the company of bias and demanded to know the criteria that were used to dismiss them.
“We really don’t know what criteria they used to dismiss us. This is completely unfair and we will soon give our standing on the same matter.