Communication Workers Union of Kenya general secretary Benson Okwaro addressing the Press in April . Cowu has issued a seven-day strike notice to Telkom Kenya over disputed bonus pay for unionised workers. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
The employees claim that the Telkom Kenya management is discriminating against unionisable staff, and using the bonus pay to coerce them into quitting the Communication Workers Union of Kenya (Cowu).
More than 1,000 unionisable staff of Telkom Kenya have threatened to go on strike if their bonus is not increased, claiming that they were being paid only a token Sh2,000 while some senior staff were getting as much as Sh1 million each.
The employees claim that the Telkom Kenya management is discriminating against unionisable staff, and using the bonus pay to coerce them into quitting the Communication Workers Union of Kenya (Cowu).
Telkom Kenya has close to 1,500 employees, two-thirds of whom are Cowu members who have given a seven-day strike notice. They claim that non-unionisable staff and senior managers are getting paid an average of between Sh30,000 and Sh1 million.
Benson Okwaro, the Cowu general secretary, is demanding that the employees be paid their bonuses based on performance across the board, adding that there is no way the management can claim to have selectively contributed to the company’s bottom line.
“The Communication Workers Union of Kenya hereby issues 7-days strike notice to the management of Telkom Kenya Ltd effective today 29th September 2014... we are left with no other option but to revert to industrial action if this will help our members,” Mr Okwaro said in a statement.
However, Telkom Kenya said the union rejected a proposal that the unionised staff should be included in a performance-based contract when it was floated in 2012.
“It is also important to note that the proposal to include the unionised staff on the performance based plan was floated in H2, 2012 by the company’s management, but was not taken up by the union,” the company said in a statement yesterday.
But Mr Okwaro said that the strike notice has also been fueled by harassment of Telkom Kenya customer care employees and non-payment of overtime to some 54 employees working at the call centre despite an agreement reached by the management, the union and Labour ministry last year.
“The management… has continued to harass and intimidate union members particularly at the call centre…. and is employing all manner of tricks including threats, disciplinary actions and enticement on union members for them to withdraw their union membership,” Mr Okwaro said.
The union claims that disciplinary action is being taken against staff for such mundane issues as visiting the washrooms, and that they are also barred from “talking freely”.
Telkom Kenya said the union’s claim of discrimination was unfounded, adding that it is not only the unionised staff that are not eligible for bonus payments but also those on variable pay as well as those who earn commissions.
The company said it will be meeting with the union in two weeks’ time to discuss a collective bargaining agreement for 2015/2016 where any pertinent issues brought up by union members will be addressed.
It also said overtime for the 54 staffers in the customer care department is being processed, in accordance with a decision arrived at by the Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services.
