Kambi put on the spot as Labour Day row deepens

The dispute involving rival trade unions Cotu and Pusetu over Thursday’s International Labour Day celebrations spilled into Parliament Monday with Cotu maintaining that it is in charge.

Labour secretary Kazungu Kambi was taken to task to explain who will be in charge of the event after he said he met Public Servants Trade Union (Pusetu) and Central Organisations of Trade Unions (Cotu) officials.

“I have met with officials of Pusetu and Cotu and the preparations are going on well. We as government will not interfere with the workers event. We shall only go where workers have assembled that day,” Mr Kambi told MPs.

“Paid-up members of Cotu are 163,583 going by its 2012 audited reports. Pusetu members are estimated at about 600,000. Cotu has more numbers than Pusetu in terms of affiliated trade unions, but Pusetu has the highest membership,” Mr Kambi said.

Disqualify himself

Cotu secretary-general Francis Atwoli dared Pusetu to organise its own event if “it has the numbers.”

Pusetu secretary-general Charles Mukhwaya, chairman Tom Odege, vice chairperson Professor Sammy Kubasu and board member Wilson Sossion declined to testify before the National Assembly Labour and Social Welfare committee after Kikuyu MP George Muchai failed to disqualify himself from the proceedings.

Mr Muchai is Cotu deputy secretary-general and Pusetu officials said the MP “issued derogatory insults on the membership and officials of the union.”

“Mr chairman, before we proceed, allow us to bring to your attention that we are not comfortable testifying before this committee in the presence of honourable Muchai who insulted the leadership and membership of Pusetu over the weekend. Unless he is asked to excuse himself , we will not proceed,” Mr Mukwaya told the committee chairman David Were.

After Pusetu officials walked out Mr Atwoli told MPs that Cotu was the “most representative umbrella workers union and therefore Labour Day is our day.”

“That will be our last supper. Nobody will be allowed to mess with that day. We have spent over Sh30 million in the preparations,’’ he said.