Trade unions in Trans Nzoia County have been asked to represent the interests of workers without being partisan when it comes to fronting opinions on parastatal organizations. Speaking during Labour Day celebrations at the showground in Kitale, the labour officer in the County George Tsimuli said most Trade unions have been vocal when it comes to representing their workers in private institutions but fail to represent them well when it comes to public institutions which have been mistreating their workers.
“You can’t come here pretending that you are representing workers effectively yet you are only inclined in the course, especially in private sectors,” said Tsimuli “You are vocal but when it comes to representing your members who are employed in government institutions you are not vocal anymore.”
The labour officer appealed to Trade Unions to be vibrant in tackling issues affecting their members expressing his dissatisfaction over the manner their affairs have been handled. He cautioned employers over hiring security guards without legal documents saying they’ll be held responsible for breaking the laws on employment of servants. or Places they are located or small firms saying they will be held as principal employers of those guards as well as service employer for flouting laws on employment of servants and when found stern action will be taken against them.
Earlier on the chairman for Kenya Private Security Servants Ronald Mokaya had complained that some employers have been employing security guards without following the right procedure. He said that some have also failed to pay for NHIF and NSSF for the employees. Mokaya had appealed to the labour officer to take stern action against such employers who don’t cater for security guards.
The Branch Secretary for Civil Servants Workers Union Francis Atieli said several politicians in the County have large tracts of land and have employed workers to cater for their farms but in return, they’re paying them meager salaries. He also said the County government has failed its workers, terming them as law breakers when it comes to handling their employees.
