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Kenya: City Council Workers Strike
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The East African Standard (Nairobi)
27 March 2008
Posted to the web 26 March 2008
Beauttah Omanga
Nairobi
Nairobi City Council employees have downed their tools demanding Sh492 million in salary arrears.
The workers converged on Wednesday at City Hall where they demanded an audience with the Town Clerk, Mr John Gakuo.
But Gakuo did not show up to listen to their grievances.
Led by their welfare union leaders, the employees vowed to boycott their duties until they were paid the outstanding five months' salary arrears.
Other demands included an undertaking by the council to provide them with medical cover and that all retirees be promptly paid their dues.
Union officials claimed they had unsuccessfully tried to seek audience with the clerk. They called on the Kenya Anti-corruption Commission to probe the council's finances.
"The City Council has several ghost workers. Beautification of the city is part of the new avenue through which chief officers are stealing money from the council by inflating costs," claimed a union official.
The employees also demanded that all the chief officers who had attained retirement age be replaced immediately and threatened to eject them if their contracts were renewed.
They denied reports that they were only owed three months salary arrears, insisting that only a few had received salaries for two months, while the majority was still waiting.
Drawn from all departments, the workers claimed there were plans by the council administration to retrench them on flimsy grounds.
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The employees also want the council to provide them with two sets of uniforms and all council askaris be allowed to take their annual leave as is the case with other workers.
Gakuo, who was in his office, could not be reached for comment as his secretary said he was busy. Calls to his office went unanswered.
The angry workers vowed to camp at City Hall until Gakuo was replaced and their outstanding arrears paid.
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