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Agreement paves the way for revitalised Kenyan railway workers’ union
21 August 2008
Railway workers in Kenya have signed up to a document designed to help rebuild union organising at a prominent East African railway operator.
The workers, some 39 of them, signed the memorandum of understanding at a seminar in Nairobi, Kenya, this week. Sponsored by railway unions from Austria, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland, the seminar, which took place from 18-20 August, was organised by the ITF Africa regional office and the ITF railway section. It brought together disparate union members employed by the Rift Valley Railway (RVR) company, under the facilitation of representatives from the Central Organisation of Trade Unions of Kenya and a senior industrial relations inspector from the labour department. The seminar was opened by the Assistant Minister of Transport John Harun Mwau; RVR Managing Director, Kevin Whiteway, was also present.
The memorandum of understanding sets out a joint way forward to rebuild the ITF-affiliated Railway and Allied Workers’ Union. It outlines a process to restructure the union to ensure the needs of the workforce are met.
Addressing the seminar, ITF Regional Secretary Joe Katende said: “We have just witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding as the basis to build a delivering union by working together as equal partners. This is the beginning of a long journey to rebuild your union that can deliver for the workers. Working together will bring success. You have assisted each other. The workers are waiting for guidance from you. The way we conducted ourselves here is the way you should proceed with your members.”
In 2006, the Kenya Uganda Railways was transferred from the state to the private sector. The transfer agreement entered into between the union and the Kenya Railway Authority was not honoured and workers were forced to accept inferior contracts with new franchise holder, RVR. They were also denied bargaining rights.
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