By Bonface Mulyungi
The Central Organisation of Trade Unions Kenya (COTU-K) is set to push for a significant increase in the minimum wage during this year’s Labour Day celebrations, as pressure mounts over the rising cost of living and deteriorating working conditions.
The resolution was reached during a high-level meeting held at the COTU Solidarity Centre, where union leaders gathered to finalise preparations for the 61st Labour Day celebrations scheduled to take place in Vihiga County.
COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli issued a firm and uncompromising call for a 23 per cent increase in the minimum wage, warning that Kenyan workers are struggling to cope with economic pressures.“Fellow workers, we stand at a crossroads,” Atwoli declared while addressing a national assembly of general secretaries and shop stewards.
“The Kenyan worker, the backbone of our nation, is being squeezed by inflation and a shifting labour market. We make this firm demand for a 23 per cent increase in the minimum wage because it is a calculated necessity for survival.”Atwoli painted a grim picture of the labour landscape, citing a steady decline in permanent employment.According to data presented at the meeting, permanent jobs have dropped from 42.3 per cent in 2016 to just 31.7 per cent currently, raising concerns about job security and workers’ welfare.“We cannot discuss ‘productivity’ while the men and women providing that labour cannot afford basic necessities,” he said, adding that the cost of living “no longer walks, but runs.”
The outspoken union leader also warned employers and state agencies against undermining workers’ rights, particularly in relation to Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
“To the management of Kenya Railways and others your lack of commitment to CBAs is an invitation to industrial unrest,” Atwoli cautioned. “The Salaries and Remuneration Commission was not created to be a bottleneck for workers’ rights. COTU will not be silenced.”
He further pledged to personally intervene in the disputes, stating that restoring dignity to Kenya’s workforce would remain a top priority for the union movement.
Earlier in the meeting, the General Secretary of the Railway Workers Union, Eric Tirop, cited inequalities at Kenya Railways.
Tirop noted that despite being classified as a top-performing state agency by the State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC), workers continue to be underpaid.
He claimed that while the corporation has achieved Class A status due to growth in cargo and passenger operations, employees are still remunerated under Category C, creating a significant disparity between performance and pay.
Furthermore, Tirop raised concerns over the collapse of industrial relations at the corporation, revealing that railway workers have not had a functional Collective Bargaining Agreement honoured since 2014.
“We are calling upon the COTU Secretary-General to intervene,” Tirop said. “Our railway workforce deserves fair working conditions.”The push for a wage increase comes amid growing economic strain on Kenyan households, with unions warning that failure to address workers’ grievances could lead to widespread industrial unrest.
