11,000 Unilever Tea Kenya workers down their tools

Police were on Monday forced to intervene and stop more than 11,000 striking workers of Unilever Tea Kenya from destroying property.

The workers downed their tools in the hope of making the company implement a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) reached last year.

County Police Commander Rose Muchuma said regular and Administration police officers were deployed to Jamjii Tea Estate following a call from the company's Managing Director Duncan Stickler.

"We got a call from Mr Stickler saying he needed our help to protect company property after striking workers threatened to go on the rampage," she said.

Ms Muchuma said nine workers were arrested for allegedly uprooting 10 tea bushes and destroying a signpost belonging to the company.

NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE

She said the suspects will be arraigned once police complete their investigation.

However, speaking to The Standard, Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) Kericho branch secretary Joshua Maywen demanded the suspects' immediate and unconditional release.

"We want all the workers in custody to be released unconditionally in order for negotiations between the union and the company to go on smoothly," he said.

It is alleged that workers at Jamjii, Kericho and Kapkwen tea estates downed their tools and were demanding a higher monthly pay, which is currently at a minimum of Sh10,000 but could rise to between Sh13,000 and Sh15,000 due to overtime.

Efforts to get a comment from Unilever's corporate affairs director at the company's headquarters failed because the director was said to be out of office.

However, a notice dated Monday, September 22, authored by Mr Stickler and addressed to the heads of departments, appealed to all employees to be patient while negotiations between the company and KPAWU continue.

The MD expressed optimism that the two parties would soon arrive at an agreeable CBA.

Despite these assurances, the workers' strike continued yesterday.