[Central Organisation of Trade Unions, (Cotu) secretary general Francis Atwoli (R). Photo/cotu-kenya.org]
The Central Organisation of Trade Unions, (Cotu) has dismissed reports that the continued increase of Minimum Wage to workers is pushing potential employers in Kenya to relocate to neighboring countries.
Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli said the claims by the Federation of Kenya Employers, (FKE) Executive Director, Jacqueline Mugo, were misleading.
According to him, it makes no single economic sense for FKE to claim that such increases had pushed the cost of doing business in the country by 30 per cent, yet companies that were raising complaints about the same, were still operating in Kenya.
"What all this means is that they are lying to Kenyans. If at all doing business in Kenya is expensive, why not proceed as of yesterday to Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia and anywhere else!'' said Atwoli.
In a statement, he indicated Kenya was the satellite of all economic activities in the region and the headquarters of all relevant companies including those in Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, Malawi.
"All their monies are here in the Kenyan Banks and for anyone to compare Kenya to say Ethiopia, Uganda, Malawi or Egypt, will be a clear mockery to the Kenyan workers and people as a whole since Kenya is far ahead of all these economies to compare.''
At the same time, Atwoli said most of the said companies in the region had loans from Kenyan banks.
''Infact, Cotu's Economic and Research Department survey of 1987 observed that the Kenyan workers remain underpaid in the region since their entitled living wage as of 1987 was 37,000 meaning the least an employer should pay an employee to be able to meet and cater for his/her basic needs was 37,000 in 1987.''
"And today with a pay of hardly 12,600 in Nairobi, one is still talking of being high, is the most outrageous thing ever in recent times to a worker. Cotu has put its demand forward and we are happy with this week’s announcement by the president that he will consider our request,'' he added, Friday.
Atwoli further cautioned employers not to pride, in paying slavery wages to their employees.