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February 18th, 2009
BY BENJAMIN OCHIENG
THE government of
Since 2006, the government has never increased salaries of the workers in the private sector or even reviewed their working conditions.
Frantic efforts by the workers to use strike, boycott or protest to advocate for their better remunerations has always been thwarted by labour Ministry that protects the interests of employers.
Employers who are mostly of Arab and Asian origins that control the economy, take the protections advantage to humiliate, frustrate and threaten the desperate workers.
But due to the surge in disparity and unemployment, they have no where to run but to watch the slavery entail so as to enable them eke a living.
The sector that boasts as
The people are questioning why the president invited the Arabs and Asian tycoon traders for his golden dinner plate bash. The list with over5000 rich persons who run prime business unto the country had to part with a whooping 1m in cash to share table with his Excellency the President at State House in September 2007 as polls approached . Those contacted had to part with the cash or attend. Hayer Bishan,
“Kenyans should not be persecuted at the expense of the plate. What the workers are requesting for was already paid in advance to Mr. President in aid of His campaign kitty. That is why he always shun this request, but nothing will stop the people power”Said Joseph Onyango, a frustrated flower worker.
Trade unionist led by Central Organisations of Trade Unions(COTU) secretary general Francis Atwoli has persistently defended the workers but their attempts have fruition no yield.
There is a need to present the interest of flower workers, constructions workers, security guards, house maids, gardeners, teachers in private school, Doctors and nurses in private hospitals and the many casual labourers in the county.
The greatest problems they face is poverty high disparity between the rich and the poor, underpayment , poor working conditions and the high cost of living.
Time has come for the coalition government to think of balancing the equilibrium between the public servants who take fat cash and the forgotten private sector workers who are getting poorer day by day.
The angry reaction exhibited in 2008 came from hungry Kenyans who expressed their displeasure for a government whose men And women are crying in material overabundance when the citizens are in squalor
National leadership is the safeguarding of peoples interest through devising solutions to the challenges are face the citizens.
The public outrage ransom and anguish experienced in may 2008 forced the president to stop his speech and inquire what the people demanded ,should act as a wake up call for the government to expeditiously address the underpayment and poor working condition dilemma that affect millions of Kenyans .
The disperation with the private sector workers in urban ,rural and slum areas has given birth to social economic evil activities such as robberies ,thuggery, prostitutions and deception.
“ People don’t fear repercussion as they pursue what they want because of hopelessness” Said Peter ,Mwaura,a student at the
Public Servants, Teachers, Nurses, Police, Military and Civil servants in general have in many times been remunerated well to enable them co-op with the hardships at their working places.
But this is not the case with private sector, their abundance has in return converted them into slaves ."There is no difference between them and prisoners who work for 30cts per-day," Said Joseph Onyango, a human rights activist. For this inmate to raise kshs 30 he has to work for 100 days “he is added.
This is the type of colony in the Kenya we do not want .Investigations revealed that domestic workers[house maids,dishwashers,gardeners,watchmen,] take home between KSH.1500-2000 a month while the lowest paid civil servant (messengers )takes home 11,000 per month exclusive of medical ,hardship ,house and transport allowances.
President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga that are the fathers to Kenyans families should look forward to address this national problem.
This is their mandate and should they fail ,outraged Kenyans whom gave them the mandate are justified to act in a manner that will prompt them to act to enable the whole country be part of vision 2030…
End