DHL drivers and clerks awarded pay increase

Employees of logistics firm DHL Supply Chain will a get a 10 per cent salary increase from this month, ending a three-month agitation for a raise.

The Kenya Union of Commercial, Food and Allied Workers Union (KUCFAW) had asked for 15 per cent but the management offered less, citing high operating costs.

The increase will benefit cleaners, messenger, drivers, clerks, folk lift operators and mechanics who earn between Sh14,700 and Sh25,000 a month.

“This agreement shall be effective from August 1, 2012 and shall remain in force for two years.

There after, the agreement shall continue in force until amended,” said the collective bargaining agreement. “We expect that the 10 percent pay rise will ensure a continued harmonious industrial relationship,” said Ben Clay the DHL country manager.

Mr Clay said business was improving after high commodity prices increased costs in preceding months.

Truck operators

Cleaners, messengers and tea ladies have been earning Sh14,700 a month; waiters and cooks were taking home Sh15,250. Clerks have been earning between Sh21,300 and Sh18,000 while mechanics were taking home between Sh19,650 and Sh22,000.

Drivers of heavy commercial vehicles took home Sh24,600 while a reach truck operator is the highest paid at Sh25,000 a month.

Mr Clay said that the company has also reviewed a variety of allowances in line with inflation. DHL has a total of 465 employees in Kenya.

Industry player Express Kenya sacked more than 60 workers in April in a bid to stay afloat after losing a major beer distribution contract.

The union signed a collective bargaining agreement which will apply for the next two years in Nairobi last week.

Mr Clay said the company experienced hard times at the beginning of year because of high fuel prices and interest rates.

Last year saw the highest number of strikes in Kenya other than 2008 due to inflation that eroded employee’s real earnings, data from the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) shows.

There was a total of 25 strikes nationally involving 47,754 workers in which 1.5 million man hours were lost.