At least 500,000 employees could lose their jobs in the next six months if the Covid-19 pandemic situation in the country persists, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.
Speaking during this year’s Labour day celebrations, President Kenyatta indicated that the situation had taken a toll on the economy, crippling several companies that provide employment to thousands of Kenyans.
“The hardest hit in our economy are the workers. We can’t relax in our efforts to conquer this invincible enemy and we need to put our economy on a strong growth path. If not, we could lose upwards of half a million jobs in the next six months,” said President Kenyatta.
However President promised to cushion the workers and protect them from economic down turn and political opportunists.
“I want to assure the workers that we have their backs and I will do everything to protect them from the economic down turn and political opportunists who feed their ambitions on the misery of workers,” he added.
Currently, it is estimated that at least 133,657 Kenyans have been rendered jobless as the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to take a toll on businesses in the country.
In a report tabled in parliament this week, the Ministry of Labour revealed that all the lost jobs so far are in the formal sector.
The number excludes employees on unpaid leave and those who have taken pay cuts as the global health crisis eats into company profits.
Speaking in the same event, the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli called for the disbandment of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), terming it as an enemy to the Kenyan worker.
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“We have an enemy in this country known as SRC. The commissioner has deliberately continued to interfere with all collective bargaining agreements. We are optimistic that through the BBI initiative, SRC will be disbanded,” said Atwoli.
Atwoli also urged employers not to rush to implement pay cuts before engaging unions.
“I thank those employers who have kept their employees in full employment despite the pandemic & those who have entered into separate agreement with their unions to ensure no worker loses employment. The only problem is on pay cuts,” said Atwoli.
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