The Kenyan government is in the process of changing its labour relations laws that will see it outlaw industrial action by staff that provides essential services.
In amendments to the Labour Relations act, a bill before parliament indicates that staff providing essential services will continue reporting to work.
These include those who provide healthcare, electricity, water, sanitation and telecommunication services sectors.
Unionists are now up in arms over the proposed changes accusing the government of hampering good industrial relations.
From doctors, nurses, teachers and lecturers in 2017 they witnessed prolonged industrial strikes mainly over pay disputes between the government and workers.
While on the one hand the government insists the ballooning public wage bill is unsustainable, 50% of all the money collected as revenues in Kenya goes in to the pockets of less than 2% of the country’s total population.
Workers say they are justified to demand better pay and better working conditions.
To counter regular strikes and interruption of services Kenya’s ministry of labour has introduced amendments to the current labour laws, if parliament passes the law, doctors, nurses and other medical workers’ unions will be required to provide a set number of their members to continue working during strikes so that service delivery is not disrupted.
The Union movement has termed the amendments retrogressive.
The union also feels that the government has failed to end disharmony in the public sector due its heavy handedness.
Any union planning industrial action will be required to give a 21 day strike notice up from the current seven.
Click video below:
