COVID-19: Workers’ union moves in to cushion flower farmers
By Kirera Mwiti, April 13, 2020
The Kenya Plantations and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) has moved in to engage flower farmers over the current crisis in the floriculture sector that has seen workers sent home.
According to Ferdinand Juma who is KPAWU secretary-general in Naivasha, they were keen for a win-win situation for both the workers and the employers.
He admitted that hundreds of workers had been sent home on one month paid leave as the employers monitored the current situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“KPAWU has started to engage employers on the way forward in regard to the current situation and we have several options over the crisis,” he said.
Juma noted among the options were sending the workers on unpaid leaves or half salaries adding that sacking was not an option.
“We have had several meetings with the employers and the workers representatives and all understand the magnitude of this problem which has paralyzed various sectors,” he said.