Atwoli: Workers have less to celebrate

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Francis Atwoli after being re-elected as Secretary-General of COTU for a fifth term in Kisumu, April 9, 2021. [Collins Odour, Standard]

Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary-General Francis Atwoli says the Covid-19 pandemic has plunged millions of workers into joblessness.
Speaking during Labour Day Celebrations at Uhuru Park Nairobi on May 1, 2021, in an event attended by President Uhuru Kenyatta, Atwoli said workers have less to celebrate as the pandemic has impacted millions of jobs and affected livelihoods.
Lauding President’s Uhuru’s economic stimulus measures, Atwoli said the state’s packages have mitigated the sting of the pandemic and propped workers. He pledged to work closely with Uhuru’s administration to ease the pain of workers who continue to feel the pinch of the pandemic.
“As COTU, an umbrella body of workers in the country, we will work closely with your government to make sure that we steer our economy to higher heights in order to address the job losses that we have all witnessed as a result of this pandemic. Equally, we would like to thank the Ministry of Labor, Health and Interior for providing an enabling environment for our organization to conduct elections under these abnormal circumstances,” said Atwoli.
Addressing how Covid-19 has had adverse impacts on Agriculture, the backbone of the Kenyan economy, Atwoli said access to markets was key in stimulating production, and cushioning workers and industries from Covid-related trade losses.
“I thank you for having made a budget allocation during this time of Covid-19 to the Agricultural sector of the economy by ensuring that there is cargo space for their exports. You made sure, under this trying moment, our exporters can be able to access our ports for international markets,” said Atwoli.
Atwoli said a tripartite agreement signed in 2020 safeguarded against erosions induced on the economy amid social disruptions by the Covid-19
“We call upon your government to continue supporting the social tripartite partners; namely the Federation of Kenyan Employers (FKE), COTU and the government – through the ministry of Labour. When we realized that Covid-19 was a big problem, these organizations developed and signed a tripartite agreement which provided for job security and assured worried workers and those employed during the covid period that they will not lose their employment when the situation returns to normal. This is a very big milestone,” said Atwoli.

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Explaining how labour movements influenced today’s worker rights, relations and wage advancement, Atwoli said the Kenyan workers appreciate efforts by leaders who read the times and fight for change under difficult conditions.
“After having this day and several trade unions, we still have a duty to make sure that workers are protected. We have employers who are still hell-bent on maximizing profits without due regard to what workers do at their various places of work,” said the trade unionist who was first elected to the worker’s body in 2001.
Atwoli warned that corruption has become a threat to national development and service delivery.
“It is through this vice that we have lost our forest cover hence attracting massive deforestation, which has largely interfered with our environment. It is through corruption that we cannot obtain strategic medicine and quality medical cover in our public hospitals. It is through it that those tasked with the responsibility of restructuring g our cities cannot achieve their desired development, changes and keep out the menaces that negate the International city standards,” said Atwoli.

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