Is There Anything To Beam About For Workers’ And Employees, On This 59th Labor Day

By: Dennis Wendo

Worth Noting:

• Mental and psychological pressures either at family unit levels or at the workplace are on surge. Cases of suicides, femicides, homicides, radicalization and cultism are reported daily with the genesis being poverty and inability to meet common basic demands.
• Though the Government indicates the country is on a steadfast economic recovery, the majority of Kenyans still feel it is headed in the wrong direction. The public resentment over high cost of living, unemployment, heavy taxation, corruption, poor healthcare and nepotism needs empirical intervention measures.
• The government’s borrowing spree has added an additional load on Kenyans. Unfortunately, much of the revenue raised to service debts is lost to corruption, making the cost of doing business and living very high.

Labour Day, also known as International Workers’ Day, is a civic holiday to celebrate the gains of workers’ and employees. Several nations vary the actual date of their celebrations making the holiday occur close to 1 May. This year’s Labour Day anniversary remains unique, coming at a time when the Labour Centre in Kenya appears to be at tussle with itself and the Government.

At the moment, the country is experiencing intensive flood ravages, road carnages, high cost of living, inflation, infiltration of fake farm inputs, banditry, Russia – Ukraine, Israel-Gaza double down war effects and the medic’s strike which began on 14 March, 2024. The consequences are distressing.

The shopping baskets for most Kenyans continue to shrink, with families facing the impossible tough choices between food, rent, transport, school fees, water and medicine.

Mental and psychological pressures either at family unit levels or at the workplace are on surge. Cases of suicides, femicides, homicides, radicalization and cultism are reported daily with the genesis being poverty and inability to meet common basic demands.

Though the Government indicates the country is on a steadfast economic recovery, the majority of Kenyans still feel it is headed in the wrong direction. The public resentment over high cost of living, unemployment, heavy taxation, corruption, poor healthcare and nepotism needs empirical intervention measures.

The government’s borrowing spree has added an additional load on Kenyans. Unfortunately, much of the revenue raised to service debts is lost to corruption, making the cost of doing business and living very high.

Rationally, the minimum wage hypothesis has failed, it has not kept pace with the rising cost of living, inflation and the emerging socio economic challenges.   There is a need to adopt a research based living or general wage policy, that fairly commensurate with the actual cost of living among the various workforce cadres.

As we mark this year’s Labour Day let it be known, most employers continue to operate below standards and are in gross violation of the employment and labor relations provisions. They pay their employees far below the traditional government minimum wage requirements, with no remittances of PAYE, NSSF and NHIF which are the statutory mandatory obligations and a right for an employee. They evade tax and subject their employees to unconducive working conditions, whilst minting millions of cash and making huge profits at the expense of the dedicated workers.

The Government and related stakeholders such as the Central Organization of Trade Unions, Federation of Kenya Employers and Consumer associations should focus their synergies towards making Kenyans’ lives easier by putting in place policies and intervention measures to the latter to cushion the population against social, economic and political turbulences. There is a need to embrace social dialogue and tripartite working relationships to enforce the law.

As we mark this historic day, it is imperative to note, a healthy nation is a wealthy nation, and its stability is in the palms of its citizens.

The chest-thumbing and muscle flexing among institutions with mandate and authority to the defend the rights and welfare of workers’ is retrogressive and catalyzes division along tribal, religious and regional lines. It promotes incitement and to some fronts violence.

Dennis Wendo

Integrated Development Network

Email: dambehi@gmail.com