Chemelil Sugar company employees to start having full salaries in July
By Dickson Odhiambo
January 21, 2022
Chemelil Sugar company
employees to start having full salaries in July
THE government-owned Sugar miller in Nyando sugar belt within
Kisumu County have until July this year to start paying its staff full
salaries.
According to minutes of a meeting held this January 19 resolved
that the management of the Chemelil sugar company must pay the workers at least
one month salary arrears by mid-February this year
The meeting was after nearly a month of workers strike from 22
December last year which was called by the Kenya Union of Sugarcane Plantation
and Allied Workers (KUSPAW).
During the meeting of Interim Management Committee,
representatives of the Union, Company Management and Sugar Directorate, several
resolutions were made.
Among the issues resolved
includes Chemelil Sugar Company should resume payment of full salaries.
The minutes signed by Ann Nyaga, Chief Administrative Secretary,
Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives reads in part: “Full
payment plan should be developed by the management and communicated to staff.
This should happen possibly after July,”
According to Union leaders, salary arrears for the staff at the
troubled miller dates back to July 2017 and by July 2022, it will be a complete
five year cycle since the employees here ever received a full salary.
It is probably against this backdrop that the meeting resolved
that a Board of Directors be appointed to oversee management of the company.
In the resolution, Agriculture ministry has directed the sugar
company management to effect payment of retirees’ pensions from August this
year.
"The payment of retirees benefits to continue as is the
case currently but other payment plans taking into consideration for lump-sum
to be explored and communicated to the Ministry for approval," the minutes adds.
The company is set for major maintenance of its machines in May
this year.
During Mashujaa Day celebrations last year, President Uhuru
Kenyatta directed the National Treasury to disburse 1.5 billion shillings to
the five state-owned sugarcane mills that include Chemelil Sugar Factory.
Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation and Allied Workers (KUSPAW)
leadership was quoted urging the five state-owned Sugarcane mills to ensure the
Sh. 1.5 billion directed to the sugar industry as part of the economic stimulus
intervention is well spent.
KUSPAW General Secretary Francis Wangara told journalists at a
press conference that the disbursement which was announced by President Uhuru
Kenyatta during the 2021 Mashujaa Day
celebration is not enough but remains a good gesture from government.
President Kenyatta in his
speech during the fete, directed the National Treasury to disburse the funds
which will be be appropriated towards factories maintenance and payment of
farmer's arrears.The state-owned sugar millers include Nzoia, Chemelil, Miwani,
Muhoroni and Sony.
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