Companies

Coast bottling company workers go on strike

strike

Coast Bottlers Limited CEO Ibrahim Khor addresses his workers who staged a strike outside the plant in Kikambala, Kilifi County on Monday. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI

Operations at the Coast Bottlers Limited (CBL) in Kikambala, Kilifi County, have been paralysed after over 300 workers downed tools due to what they termed unattended grievances.

The workers, who protested outside the company's gate on Monday, said implementation of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) has been postponed for over two years.

They also accused the company, a bottling firm for Coca-Cola, of failing to remit their tax deductions to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) as required by the law.

A worker, Mr Alex Kazungu Masha, claimed that the company has also failed to remit National Social Security Fund deductions for the last four months.

"We are tired of the push and pull. We have seen the termination of some of our colleagues without notice or warning letters. We are not sure of our NSSF and NHIF payments and more," Mr Masha said.

The workers said they have worked under Career Direction Limited, Asego Warehouse Limited and now Smart Human Capital, who have failed to address their CBA grievances and benefits. They accuse the latest contractor – Smart Human Capital – of neglecting them despite having promised to address their grievances and want CBL to come up with a permanent solution.

Kenya Union of Commercial Food and Allied Workers Coast Branch Secretary Wario Mahinda said that CBL has the mandate to improve the lives of the workers by increasing their wages but it has failed to so.