A peaceful demonstration over poor working conditions was carried out by the workers of a vegetables and fruits export processing plant that is situated in Bibirioni, Limuru.
The protest took place yesterday after the workers of Sunripe company said that they were overworked and also paid very poorly.
John Njenga, a worker there said that they were usually supposed to work from 8 AM and finish at 5 PM but they usually worked up to 10 PM.
“Our working times are very bad and inhuman. The working conditions and also the environment is very bad. We are not provided with any protective gear and yet we are dealing with chemicals,” Njenga said.
Peter Tharau who is also a worker said that their efforts to seek for the overtime allowances have all been futile.
“We are usually given Sh300 per day and if you try to ask for overtime allowance, you are usually sacked and told not to come to work. We really need an increment to our wages,” Tharau said
The workers went ahead and urged the Labour CS Kazungu Kambi to intervene since they were really suffering.
"We urge our government through Kazungu Kambi to come to our rescue. We have children who go to school and they also need food to eat and yet the employer is not paying us well. We are kindly urging the management of this company to feel mercy for us and do something to our pay,” Mercy Njeri said, another worker.
The anti riot police later dispersed the protesting workers
Efforts to talk to the management of the company were futile as they refused to talk to the press saying that they were very busy with issues in the office.