Kibos Sugar Workers gives strike notice over sh 41m CBA Arrears.

 The Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation and Allied General Secretary Francis Wangara at his office in Kisumu where he said the Union has issued a 14 day strike Notice on behalf of Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries workers who are its members-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo.

By Dickson Odhiambo

    

   November 7, 2018.

Kibos Sugar Workers gives strike notice over sh 41m CBA Arrears.

THE WORKERS of Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries in Kisumu East Sub County have given a 14 days strike notice to the management of the Company for its alleged failure to pay them their Collective Bargaining Agreement of 2015 to 2017.

Through their Union known as the Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation and Allied {KUSPAW}, the workers have threatened to down their tools from this November 12 when the strike notice will expire having been issued on October 30 this year.

Addressing the Press at his office in Kisumu, the Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation and Allied General Secretary Francis Wangara said all the workers from the Company who are members of the Union will participate in the impending strike after the company failed to address the issues raised so far by the workers.

He says among the issues raised include the wage increase of 10 percent to the workers by the management of Kibos Sugar and Allied Workers which would have been effective from 2016.

He says this should be the second phase of the wage increase after that of 15 percent was done across the workers where their salaries was to be adjusted.

Wangara says the management should calculate and pay the 2015-2017 collective bargaining agreement arrears as directed by the court earlier.

“The Management of Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries to implement payment of the new salaries for graded artisans and operators as was awarded by the Court,” Wangara says.

The workers also demand that the management to forward counter proposals for the 2018-2020 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

“The demand must be met on or before November 12 this year failure to which, employees will not report to work on November 13 this year,” Wangara adds.

The union has urged all the employees of the company to be on standby awaiting implementation as directed and lay down their tools on November 13 this year if the demands are not met.

Wangara has accused the management of keeping on dodging and is not ready to address the issue prompting the union to issue a 14 days strike by its members who work at the company.

Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries Proprietor Raju Patel Chathu when contacted for comments over the mobile phone said he has not received any letter from the Union about the notice of the impending strike by the Workers.

“I am actually not aware of such a letter and you are the one who has just informed me about it,” Raju said.

However, a copy of a letter dated October 30,2018 from the Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation and Allied Worker signed by its General Secretary Francis Wangara indicating the notice of strike contains the stamp of Kibos Sugar, indicating that the company had received such a letter on October 31,2018

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