Kenya Ports Authority defies minister, says striking workers must be sacked

 

More than 13 people were injured yesterday in a stampede as thousands of job seekers flocked Bandari College for interviews by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).

On Thursday, KPA, through print media adverts, called for candidates to fill the positions of employees sacked for participating in a two-day-strike over the new medical cover rates. The strike paralysed operations at the Port of Mombasa and KPA says it lost more than Sh200 million.

Yesterday, police lobbed teargas canisters to the crowd surging forward to the tents erected to serve as recruitment centres.

A sea of humanity arrived at Bandari College as early as 4am for interviews to fill the vacant positions but KPA management said their chances to be employed were slim given all the employees, save for those sacked, had reported back to work.

Meanwhile, the KPA management yesterday defied a directive by acting Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia annulling the dismissals of the “ringleaders” of the strike, insisting that it will not allow them back.

Gichiri Ndua, the managing director, said the fate of the 27 employees was sealed and more will be sacked once investigations are complete.

“Those 27 are no longer employees of this organisation. They have received their summary dismissal letters. They incited employees and bribed them to participate in an illegal strike that had nothing to do with KPA,” said Ndua.

He defended the move saying the sacking was in accordance with labour regulations given the matter that was agitated by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) had nothing to do with KPA.

Ndua said KPA has waived the charges accrued because of the strike and announced that 2,500 containers were stuck at the port due to the strike. KPA clears an average of 1,500 containers a day and Ndua said the backlog will be cleared by tomorrow.

He said as a result of the strike, the port lost more than Sh200 million and “considering the delays in delivery and failure to find market, the East Africa region lost approximately Sh1 billion.”

On Friday, KPA Human Resource and Administration Manager Salim Chingambi termed the strike as “economic sabotage” and a gross misconduct that warrants summary dismissal.

The Port of Mombasa has been hit by two industrial action in a span of one week that have eroded the government’s efforts to increase efficiency at the port.

On Saturday, employees went on strike protesting one day salary delay caused by the new time management system and errors in their pay slips.

On Wednesday, the employees again participated in a strike called by TUC to protest the new National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) deductions despite KPA management’s circulars asking them not to participate in the strike.

KPA said that there were no registered disputes between the Dock Workers Union and the management but employees went ahead with the strike leading to huge losses at the port and importers.

Other employees received their letters yesterday but questions dogged the sacking as some of those affected claimed they did not participate in the industrial action.