Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli has revealed three major agendas from his meeting with Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua.
The two held the meeting on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, when Atwoli met with Mutua at the Cabinet Secretary’s office.
Apart from giving Mutua what he wants to be implemented, Atwoli said he welcomed the former Machakos County governor who was appointed to lead the ministry.
“Today, I paid a courtesy call to the new Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, Hon. @DrAlfredMutua. On behalf of COTU (K), I welcomed the CS and expressed our commitment and dedication to working with him for the betterment of the welfare and interest of Kenyan workers,” Atwoli said in a statement on X.
The long-serving COTU boss said he and Mutua discussed wage increases for workers and the need to mainstream the operations of employment agencies.
“Specifically, we discussed, at length, the need to implement the 6% wage increase directive by President William Ruto during this year’s International Labour Day Celebration on May 1st. It remains the position of COTU (K) that this directive ought to have been gazetted and implemented immediately following the directive by the President.
“Second, we discussed the need to mainstream the operations of employment agencies that continue to facilitate modern-day slavery and the role played by NEA as a facilitator of those agencies. I advised the CS to consider making NEA a department of the Ministry of Labour and not an agency, as it is,” Atwoli added.
Atwoli also said he shared with the CS the need to observe dialogue in regard to industrial relations.
“Finally, I called upon the new CS to ensure that he strictly observes social dialogue to strengthen industrial relations in the country and ensure industrial peace,” Atwoli concluded.
In an earlier statement, Mutua promised to weed out agencies that mistreat the workers.
“We will weed out rogue agencies that are mistreating our workers and going against the agreements,” the CS said.
