Arrears
The Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation and Allied Workers (KUSPAW) has faulted the distribution of sector workers’ salary arrears as approved by the Ministry of Agriculture. KUSPAW General Secretary Francis Wangara faulted Agriculture Principal Secretary (PS) Paul Rono for unfair distribution of the funds which he said has disadvantaged workers in some state owned sugar millers.
On Monday, the Ministry of Agriculture approved Sh. 654 million to help struggling state owned sugar millers to clear debts owed to workers and farmers. In a letter to Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA), Agriculture PS authorized Sh. 354 million to go towards clearing farmers’ arrears at Nzoia, Muhoroni, Chemelil and South Nyanza (SONY) companies.
The PS further authorized Sh. 150 million to clear three months’ salary arrears for workers at Nzoia Sugar Company with the remaining Sh. 150 million to be shared by workers at Chemelil, Muhoroni and SONY. Wangara said it was unfair that out of the Sh. 300 million allocated for the exercise, one company was taking away a half with the other three sharing the remaining amount.
This, he said, was likely to brew discomfort amongst the workers who are owed a total of Sh. 5.3 billion, calling on the ministry to rescind the decision and redistribute the funds equally. “As a union we appreciate the efforts the government is doing to pay sugarcane farmers and workers their arrears. However, the manner in which the monies are allocated is discriminatory in nature and is causing disharmony especially within the workers in the sector,” he said.
The Sh. 150 million given to Nzoia Sugar following a directive by President Dr. William Ruto while on a working tour of Bungoma County last month, he said should be used as a benchmark and be applied across board as the government moves to clear sugarcane workers’ arrears.
He urged the PS to go back to the drawing board and ensure that Chemelil, Muhoroni and SONY factories also receive Sh. 150 million which covers three months’ worker’s salary arrears. Wangara said it was unfair for the government to pay workers in one company three months’ arrears with the others in the remaining three factories being paid for one month.
“The formula used to clear farmers’ arrears where they paid 50% across board and now they have cleared the 20% that remained should also be applied on the workers’ arrears,” he said. The union, he said was closely following the matter and will not hesitate to move to court to bar the proposed leasing of the state-owned sugar millers.
“We have a case is court which stopped the privatization of the factories. What we are telling the government is that there shall be no leasing until the Sh. 5.3 billion debt is cleared,” he said.