Kenyan Bosses cave in to dockers' job demands

Kenyan Bosses cave in to dockers' job demands

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/news/content/view/full/125671

Friday 02 November 2012

by James Rodie

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Jubilant Kenyan dockers returned to work today after two days of strikes forced employers to cave in to their demands.

More than 3,500 workers had brought key east African trade hub Mombasa to a near-complete standstill as they demanded to be put on promised permanent contracts.

Dock Workers Union (DWU) general secretary Simon Sang said most of the "casual" employees at the port had worked there between seven and 15 years and many had more than 20 years' service on the docks.

A strike over the issue was averted in May when the Labour Ministry stepped in to broker a deal between the DWU and the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).

The KPA agreed to absorb more than 2,500 workers on the permanent roster, entitling them to full pension rights and greater job security.

But workers were forced to strike when the KPA missed the September deadline for issuing its employment letters.

The strike crippled the dock which is the second-biggest on the east African coast and is a vital trade gateway to many central east African states.

Hundreds of tons of cargo piled up as top KPA officials rushed to Mombasa on Thursday after more than half of the 6,000-strong workforce downed tools in protest against the management inaction.

But DWU general secretary Simon Sang was able to tell his members to return to work to collect their permanent papers after the hugely costly strike forced the KPA to issue the documents.

The resolution of the dockers' strike didn't mean Mombassa's waters were free of industrial strife however, as around 300 ferry workers downed tools today to demand wage rises.

The Kenya Ferry Services workers, also represented by the DWU, are demanding 1 billion shillings (£7.3 million) in salary arrears from a 65 per cent salary rise that Mr Sang said had been approved by the government.

Around 200,000 commuters and 5,000 motorists were left unable to get to Mombasa island from the mainland at the Likoni channel with the nearest alternative route around 80 miles away.