The giant port workers union on Sunday held a strike rehearsal demanding that 2,500 contract employees be moved to permanent and pensionable terms.

“The strike will involve only unionisable KPA employees. It is a running industrial dispute since 2007 where the union has been demanding permanent terms for all workers,” said the Dock Workers Union (DWU) secretary general Simon Sang on Saturday.

Sang explained that the planned strike stemmed from a Joint Industrial Council meeting held on April 19, this year, where KPA management failed to agree on the confirmation of contract workers.

Obligation
The KPA management has described the threat as sad and insisted KPA is committed to its obligation.
KPA managing director Gichiri Ndua explained that all employees have varied employment arrangements and all parties have continued to honour their obligations.

Sang, however, said the strike notice followed failure by KPA management to show commitment to a memorandum of understanding signed by Mr Ndua on July 22 last year.

“This is to inform all unionisable employees that due to failure by management to honour the agreements on change of terms and failure to make any commitment on the same, the union has issued a seven-day strike notice with effect from May 9, 2012,” Sang said.

The notice was written to Mr Ndua and copied to Labour Minister John Munyes, Transport Minister Amos Kimunya, Central Organisation of Trade Unions secretary general Francis Atwoli and Federation of Kenya Employers executive director Jacquline Mugo.

Blocked
DWU national chairman Jeffa Kiti claimed KPA management has been blocked by the Transport PS from implementing the agreement.

In the strike notice, Sang referred to a return-to-work formula signed in July 22 , 2011.

Ndua then confirmed 500 employees on contract to permanent and pensionable terms and pledged that  the remaining employees would await the outcome of a restructuring process for port workers.

KPA board of directors approved the restructuring process on January 19 this year but confirmation of the contract workers to permanent terms has been delayed.

“The restructuring process is over and we don’t understand why the 2,500 employees on contract terms have not been taken on permanent terms,” said Sang.