The Kenya Union of Sugarcane Planters and Allied Workers (Kuspaw) has called for the immediate restoration of workers sacked by Mumias Sugar Company over protests against corruption claims.
Kuspaw Secretary General Francis Wangara ordered that union officials sacked by CEO Errol Johnson be called back to work and workers who protested the move on Thursday let to resume duty immediately.
Mr Wangara said Mumias was in a bad state and needed all its workers to run smoothly after being bailed out by the Government recently.
Mr Wangara who addressed the media in his office on Thursday said "As a national office we stand with them and we believe that a solution must be found and the company brought back on its feet.”
He said the union would take legal action against the MD if the officials are not reinstated, saying the management was using threat to counter justified demonstrations.
The union officials were served with sack letters after they led a team of workers to forcefully evict the miller's procurement manager Eddy Odhiambo from office over alleged gross misconduct on Tuesday.
Workers downed tools on Thursday and marched to the streets to protest the sacking of their bosses.
Mr Wangara said corruption in Mumias was deeply rooted in its management and that its management board was not helping the situation by keeping corrupt managers in office.
He said the union officials had previously led the workers in demanding that the procurement manager be sent packing over graft allegations but nothing was done, prompting the forced removal from office.
He urged Mumias CEO Errol Johnson to "address the issues raised by the workers instead of confronting the protests with threats and sacking of union officials."
He said the company was in a bad state and needed all its workers to survive the challenges it was facing to be able return to profit making ways