Mombasa, KENYA: Grain and Tea handling firm Cargill Kenya workers on Tuesday held a demo to protest an escalating row with the management over what they term as an unfair dismissal of their colleagues.
The workers who camped outside the company premises demanding an audience with the management are blaming their woes on the entry of employee outsourcing firm Insight Management Consultants, claiming that some of their colleagues were unfairly dismissed without benefits since the company was outsourced.
“We came to learn on Monday that a section of our employees working on warehouse 1 had been dismissed without prior notice and benefits then later an employee claiming to work for Insight Management Company came to my neighborhood in Likoni outsourcing for workers to replace them,” said one of the workers who requested anonymity.
The workers said that the company dismissed about twenty workers from their work position on Monday.
Dalphine Muunde, the branch Secretary of Kenya Plantation and Agriculture Workers Union, said the
workers complained that the company of Cargill and Insight Consultant went further and fired the workers who were outsourced.
In addition, the workers have asked the company to look at their needs more often as they are parents and have responsibilities such as taking care of their families.
The workers have called upon COTU to help them in fighting for their rights.
The Organising Secretary of Kenya Plantation and Agriculture Workers Union Ms. Concepta Khaoto, said that the company has not set safety measures for its staff who lack items such as safety boots, helmets and reflectors.
Efforts to get comments from Cargill Kenya were futile as they refused to give a comment regarding the strike.
