EPZ workers strike affects garment exports to US

Production of garments and textile products destined for the US market has been adversely affected by the strike of 7,000 employees at three Export Processing Zone factories in Mombasa on Friday, which has entered its fifth day.

The affected factories, Ashton Apparel, Mombasa Apparel EPZ and MK Apparel, operating under the African Growth and Opportunities Act (Agoa), have been hit hard by the strike that began on Monday last week.

The three companies operate under one management and produce a huge amount of apparel products exported to the US under Agoa.

Workers' unions last week acknowledged that the strike has affected the production but management maintained that only one company had been shut down.

"Only one company that produces 35,000 garments per day with 1,800 employees has been affected. The union is wrong," said the firms' Financial Controller Pankaj Mehta.

Mr Pankaj told The Standard that the unions and the management had not agreed on outstanding issues despite allegations that normal operations could resume this morning.

He said that following the strike, "Our production has been affected and we have had to adjust some of our orders but we are yet to determine losses in terms of value and money."

The three firms are the leading manufacturers of garments and other products that enjoy duty-free entry into the US market through a preferential treatment.

The employees have since last week Monday been on strike demanding better payment and working condition at the factories. They also accuse the management of denying them the right to join a union.

On Thursday, the police were forced to lobby tear gas canisters and shoot in the air to disperse workers who threatened to storm into the factory to flush out some of the employees who were still at work, terming them 'traitors'.

The workers led by Changamwe MP Omar Mwinyi and Central Organization Trade Union (Cotu) Vice Chairman Joel Chebii marched from Changamwe social hall to the affected EPZ factories, disrupting traffic flow in Mombasa's Industrial Area.

Mombasa County Labour Officer Joseph Nyaga, however, said the ministry was doing everything to resolve the matter.