The Kenya Chemical and Allied Workers Union (KCAWU) has cautioned companies that exploit their employees in a bid of registering more profits.
Addressing journalists in Athi River town yesterday, the Union's Assistant National Secretary General Jackson Mweke said some companies in Athi River were fond of mistreating their employees, situation that had left many live in frustrations.
Mweke condemned the companies which he alleged force employees to jopin trade unions not of their joices but where the employees had personal vested interests.
He said Mombasa Cement and the National Cement Company Limited both located in Athi River were the most notorious in terms of breaching labour laws.
“After being forcefully sourced by the management of those companies, they negotiate Collective Burgaining Agreements (CBAs) that contain inferior terms and conditions of service to their employees," said Mweke.
The officer said the companies used such CBAs to acquire the employees memberships through deductions of agency fee provided for under section 49 of Labor Relations Act No. 14 of 2007.
“If a union has negotiated a CBA with a company, any employee classified as unionizable and benefit from such CBA is bound to be deducted trade union dues in favor of such unions," added Mweke.
Mweke said Kenya Chemical and Allied Workers Union would make constitutional case of rights violations on the employees by the companies.
He added that employers could exploit workers but not forever, stating that the union would pursue rights of the workers to ensure they were respected according to constitutional provisions.
The unionist said employees should be allowed to take votes and choose unions that they want to represent their interests, instead of forcing them into those that collude with employers to offer poor terms and conditions of work.
Mweke called upon the employees to come up and exercise their constitutional rights of association.