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Darkness looms as KPLC workers go on strike
Written By:Faith Kendi, Posted: Mon, Mar 14, 2011
A nationwide strike for the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) kicked off Monday amid assertions by the company's management that operations were going on as usual.
The Kenya Electrical Trades and Allied Workers (KETAWU) officials addressed over three hundred striking workers at the Ruiru KPLC complex. The nation wide strike follows failure by the company management to address the coast region workers grievances who begun a strike on Tuesday last week.
The company is now warning workers participating in the countrywide strike of disciplinary action.
Last week, KPLC workers in the coast region went on strike protesting against unpaid allowances but the managenment declined to address their grievances and instead called on them to return to work failure to which action would be taken against the.
This prompted KETAWU to call for a nation wide strike beginning Monday, an action that threatens to plunge the whole country in darkness.
According to the union's national general secretary Ernest Nadome the strike will continue until the employees grievances are addressed.
In a rejoinder KPLC management has termed the strike illegal maintaining that most of its workers had reported for duty especially in Mt Kenya, West and Nairobi regions except a few who feared for their safety.
The sole energy distributor in the country says it has already written disciplinary letters to "the 360 members of staff who absented themselves from work on Thursday last week".
"With regard to the national strike called by KETAWU beginning Monday 14th March 2011, KPLC is conducting a roll call throughout the country today. Staff not at the work places will be considered to have absconded duty and will also face disciplinary action," the company says.
The company was also quick to assure Kenyans that it has put in place measures to ensure power is not disrupted.
The management further alleges that KETAWU ignored laid down procedures before calling on their members to down tools as contained in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Recognition Agreement and in the Labour Laws.
In Kisumu Kenya Electoral Traders and Allied Workers Union secretary general Vincent Okulu was arrested as he prepared to address striking workers at the Kisumu KPLC offices.
There was heavy presence of security personnel at the KPLC regional offices as most workers kept off the premises.
The few who reported on duty gathered outside the office with little activity going on inside
Written By:Faith Kendi, Posted: Mon, Mar 14, 2011
A nationwide strike for the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) kicked off Monday amid assertions by the company's management that operations were going on as usual.
The Kenya Electrical Trades and Allied Workers (KETAWU) officials addressed over three hundred striking workers at the Ruiru KPLC complex. The nation wide strike follows failure by the company management to address the coast region workers grievances who begun a strike on Tuesday last week.
The company is now warning workers participating in the countrywide strike of disciplinary action.
Last week, KPLC workers in the coast region went on strike protesting against unpaid allowances but the managenment declined to address their grievances and instead called on them to return to work failure to which action would be taken against the.
This prompted KETAWU to call for a nation wide strike beginning Monday, an action that threatens to plunge the whole country in darkness.
According to the union's national general secretary Ernest Nadome the strike will continue until the employees grievances are addressed.
In a rejoinder KPLC management has termed the strike illegal maintaining that most of its workers had reported for duty especially in Mt Kenya, West and Nairobi regions except a few who feared for their safety.
The sole energy distributor in the country says it has already written disciplinary letters to "the 360 members of staff who absented themselves from work on Thursday last week".
"With regard to the national strike called by KETAWU beginning Monday 14th March 2011, KPLC is conducting a roll call throughout the country today. Staff not at the work places will be considered to have absconded duty and will also face disciplinary action," the company says.
The company was also quick to assure Kenyans that it has put in place measures to ensure power is not disrupted.
The management further alleges that KETAWU ignored laid down procedures before calling on their members to down tools as contained in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Recognition Agreement and in the Labour Laws.
In Kisumu Kenya Electoral Traders and Allied Workers Union secretary general Vincent Okulu was arrested as he prepared to address striking workers at the Kisumu KPLC offices.
There was heavy presence of security personnel at the KPLC regional offices as most workers kept off the premises.
The few who reported on duty gathered outside the office with little activity going on inside
