Tuskys Supermarket employees are planning to go on strike from tomorrow. According to some workers, they plan to protest the removal of some of the perks they used to enjoy as management cite low business.
Some 1,500 employees plan to ground services at the retail giant, to a halt as they target the festive season when the traffic in the retail stores is as its highest. But the managment might be planning to fire the employees. Already some senior staff members have seen adverts being circulated in some quarters for stand-by employees to apply.
Some of the Tuskys stores which will be affected are Libra, Greenspan, Mombasa, Wareng’ and Bandari. The employees at the level of shop assistants have promised to strike but the management has also promised to sack anyone who goes on strike. Tuskys management believe that they can cure the disease of “bloated staff” and unequal ethnic representation with the strike.
The issue between Tuskys employees and management saw the Ministry of Labour appoint on Mr Mwanzia as the reconciliatory. Tuskys believe that there is a hand of Nakumatt and Naivas in the strike. The management say that Nakumatt employees get far less remuneration but they never have labour issues because Nakumatt takes care of theKenya Union of Commercial, Food and Allied Workers (KUCFAW) bosses.
In 2013, Tuskys employees and KUCFAW signed a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to raise the basic minimum wages for its employees by 10 per cent in the first year and 11 per cent in the second year. The retail giant with more than 50 branches has 7,000 unionisable employees. Nakumatt has 45 branches.