Come to our rescue, get us reinstated, former KPA employees urge Uhuru and Raila
By The Coast Newspaper Team
Twenty seven former Kenya Ports Authority employees have urged President Uhuru Kenyattta and NASA principal Raila Odinga to intervene in their dismissal at the public entity.
According to the employees they were dismissed by the then KPA management (Gichiri Ndua) after a one day strike held in July 2 2015.
They termed their dismissal irregular and an infringement of their labor rights.
One of their colleagues has since then died.
However, they attributed the death of their colleague to the depression and frustrations that they have been passing through in life.
At the time of their dismissal some of the employees were officials at the Dock Workers Union.
Addressing the media in Mombasa on Monday former Dock workers Union Assistant Secretary General Abubakar Mohamed said they were dismissed because they were fighting for the employees.
“They dismissed us because we were elected to represent their welfare at the union. They gave us no warning letters, neither were we given an opportunity to defend ourselves”
Meanwhile, Michael Kyalo a former DWU vice chair said the strike notice was duly issued and handy.
He said it had been called by TUC-Kenya, a duly registered labor centre to which DWU was affiliated.
Kyalo also revealed that a powerful tycoon after tenders at the port was behind their sacking.
He said “One tycoon, whom we cannot name for legal reasons, wanted us out of the way so he could get his much sought after tender at the CT2”
The former DWU officials said their claims were justified after the KPA management was sacked months later over tender issues.
“Their aim was to sell the second container terminal to a private individual and we refused. We made so much noise about it,” said Kyalo.
According to them they are undergoing a tough time and the only way out is to have them reinstated as port employees.
“We are struggling to keep our children in schools. We also want to celebrate Christmas like any other Kenyan” Mohammed said.
According to them, the then KPA management totally refused to implement a court order that they be given their terminal dues.