NAIROBI, Kenya, October 27th –Postal Corporation of Kenya workers on Monday staged nationwide protests over unpaid salary arrears for six months.
Communication Workers Union of Kenya (COWU), secretary general Benson Okwaro, who also doubles up as COTU deputy secretary, said the strike will persist until their six-month salary arrears are cleared.
In Nairobi, the employees walked with placards, whistles, vuvuzelas, and green leaves, along major streets, with some singing in unison, “We want our money,” to express their frustration with the government
The same was replicated in Thika, KiambuKisumu, Kakamega county, where the employees protested outside the town’s Posta offices and other streets with placards, with some written
“We want our salary. Seven months have gone by unpaid. No Salary, no work.” workers in Kisumu said.
According to Okwaro the delayed salaries have left some unable to afford basic necessities such as transportation and rent, which has, in turn, forced them to turn to debt.
He said they cannot keep on going to work from 8 am for seven good months without getting paid.
“We have so many debts that we cannot even pay them,” he added.
Okwaro said they will continue with the strike until the government pays them in full.
According to COWU, which had issued a strike notice a month ago, the government owes the workers Sh1.5 billion.
“We have exhausted all avenues, including dialogue, but none of them seem to be working. Even after performing our work diligently, we are still not getting paid, and so we have said, ‘enough is enough’,” Okwaro said.
“It is not easy for anyone to remain afloat without a salary under the current harsh economic times. We have taken up debts everywhere, and our debtors are running out of patience with us,” he added.
Okwaro urged the government to also ensure that debt owed to the corporation by other government agencies, such as Huduma Centres and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), is fully paid.
He said that the Huduma Centre owes the corporation Sh1.6 billion in rent arrears, which date back to 2013, and the IEBC also owes it some Sh400 million for transporting election material during the 2022 General Elections.
He said if you sum up the two debts, that money is enough to clear their salary arrears and to pay our salaries for another year.
