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Pay Strike Paralyses Tea Factories
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 17 July 2007 00:28
The worst affected are Tombe, Kiamokama, Ogembo, Nyamache, Kiamokama and Nyankoba plants.
The employees said they had heeded Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) secretary-general Francis Atwoli's call to down tools until their pay demands were met.
But the factory managers said they were waiting for a directive from the Agriculture minister on the next course of action.
Thousands of kilos of green leaves went to waste in Meru North District yesterday as a pay strike by Kiagoi and Micii Mikuru factories took its toll.
Unaware of the strike, the farmers picked the crop, only to find no clerks at various buying centres at around noon.
Some farmers threw away the tea, while others remained at the centres hoping that the clerks would come.
The 400 employees of Kiagoi factory went on strike demanding salary arrears amounting Sh17 million while employees of Micii Mikuru were demanding Sh30 million being arrears for four years.
The employees complained that the Kenya Tea Development Agency board had failed to honour a court ruling awarding workers 24 to 32 per cent salary increments in January this year.
