COTU secretary general Francis Atwoli. He accused tea companies for using police officers to harass and intimidate striking workers. [Photo: the-star.co.ke]
COTU secretary general Francis Atwoli has urged tea companies in Kericho and Bomet counties to stop harassing and intimidating striking tea workers.
Atwoli said the strike is legal and any harassment is ill-advised since the workers won't go back to work.
"Unilever Tea Kenya and James Finlays are using police to harass and intimidate workers who are on strike. This is unacceptable and illegal," Atwoli said.
He said if the companies meets the workers' CBAs, the union will ask them to return to work.
He accused the companies of violating the workers' CBAs saying intimidating the workers will not be the solution to end the strike that is now in the third week.
Atwoli said the tea companies should have paid the workers to avoid incurring losses.
Atwoli called the strike to force the companies to honor the workers' 2014/2015 CBAs.
The workers have vowed to boycott job until the Kenya Tea Growers' Association honors the CBA.