Flower farm workers up in arms over lack of representation by the Union

Irate workers from Delarmere Pivots and Gorge Farm march through the streets of Naivasha town protesting meager pay and poor working conditions. [Anthony Gitonga, Standard]

Flower farm workers in Naivasha have threatened to withdraw their union contributions due to what they termed as poor representation against poor working conditions and low salaries.

The workers, through their shop stewards,  pointed at the Kenya Plantations and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) over failed leadership in the sector that employs thousands of workers.

The irate workers called for change, noting that COTU Secretary-General Francis Atwoli, who also chairs KPAWU, was no longer interested in their welfare but was keen on politics.

This led to botched branch elections in Naivasha town, which were called off at the last minute without any reason by KPAWU officials.

According to Shadrack Wasike, working conditions and low salaries were the order of the day in many of the flower farms in the country.

He noted that despite their protest, their union leaders, led by Atwoli, remained silent, yet they collected millions in monthly contributions.

“We were supposed to hold our branch elections to usher in new faces who will articulate our challenges, but the exercise has been suspended,” he said.

Wasike vowed that they would not accept the union to handpick officials for them, even as he called on the CS for Labor to visit the workers and establish their working conditions.

This was echoed by Bradwel Wafula, who said that they were tired of contributing to a union that was not supporting its workers.

He said that the workers who continued to earn peanuts had suffered long enough, adding that they would not stand back as union officials manipulated the elections.

“We are giving Atwoli and his aging union colleagues 14-days to call for fresh elections, failure to which we shall stop all our union dues,” he said.

Lakeview MCA Alex Mbugua, whose ward houses most of the flower farm workers, attributed the crisis in the sector to aging top leadership.

He said that despite the sector raking in billions in flower sales every year, many of the workers were earning less than Sh6,000, making it hard to survive.

“The only way forward is to kick out these aging union leaders as they have done their part, and this can be achieved through democratic elections,” he said.

Another worker, Fridah Omulama, told of their shock on learning that the elections, which were called last month, had been postponed indefinitely.

“Some top officials want to impose some leaders on us, and we shall not be cowed by the union and oppressed in our workplace,” she said.