Finlay James Kenya has sacked two contractors featured in a BBC exposé shedding light on the sexual exploitation of female employees at the tea firm.
The international firm based in Kericho has also offered contractors’ workers direct jobs.
The contractors are; John Chebochok of Sislo Holdings and John Asava.
“We have terminated our agreement with John Chebochok’s company Sislo Holdings. All 300 contractors who were working with us through Sislo have been offered direct employment to ensure their livelihoods are not affected – 98 percent have accepted,” said the multinational in a statement on Tuesday.
“We have also suspended John Asava. Both individuals have been barred from entering James Finlay Kenya.”
The firm also noted that allegations, as aired on BBC, have been reported to the police and it has also commenced independent investigations into the duo.
The documentary, titled Sex for Work: The True Cost of Our Tea, brought to light the struggles of women looking for work in tea plantations. In the exposé are men forcing jobless women to perform sexual favors in exchange for work.
The multinational says it has contracted a Kenyan law firm, Bowmans, to look into the allegations made in the exposé.
It has also recruited Partner Africa, a company that specializes in detecting dangers to individuals and putting in place strong protection standards, to help the business strengthen its anti-sexual exploitation policy.
“While the investigation is underway, we are reminding all Finlays workers of the existing safeguarding measures in place,” said the firm which was founded in 1750 in Scotland.
“We are wholly committed to taking decisive action on the investigation findings to prevent any experiences like this happening in the future.”
Finlays has tea plantations in Kenya, Sri Lanka and Argentina and provides employment to more than 20,000 employees across the three countries.
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