Bedi investments company workers protest delayed payment
Operations at Nakuru's textile manufacturing company, Bedi Investments were disrupted on Friday, after more than 500 employees downed their tools.
The workers, the majority of whom are under contract, protested what they said was delayed payment and unfair working conditions by the company.
They held peaceful demonstrations along the streets of Nakuru to air their grievances.
One of the workers Maureen Jepkoech who spoke to the Nation lamented that the company had refused to clear their salary arrears running for more than three months subjecting them to a life of suffering.
The woman who claimed to be a machine operator said the company has withheld workers’ salaries ranging between 30,000 and 50,000.
“The company owes me over Sh 30,000 in unpaid salaries. I come to work every day but get nothing to sustain my life as well as that of many children,” she said.
The woman claimed the delayed payments have seen her family go to bed hungry while children were sent out of schools for lack of fees.
Tshe claimed that efforts to seek dialogue with the management of the company have not been fruitful since they keep making promises which she said are never fulfilled.
Mr Benson Kagawa on the other hand complained that the company had subjected them to unfair labor practices by having them work for longer hours without being paid for the overtime work.
Bedi investments company employees on 11, November, 2022
The worker claimed to have been evicted from his house for defaulting on rent payment and that his marriage was on the verge of breaking after failing to meet his obligations.
“I have reached a point where I am losing everything and continue any further. Let the company pay us our due as we worked for them,” said Mr Kagawa.
The company however, through its corporate affairs manager expressed surprise at the workers’ industrial action noting that the company had engaged them that morning.
Ms Mbuthia said the company had issued a communication on November 9 on plans to clear workers’ payment by Saturday before meeting them on Friday.
“We were surprised to see our workers demonstrating in the streets. We had just held a meeting this morning informing them of the plans to pay them. I do not understand what motivated them to decide to raise their issues outside the company’s structure,” said Ms Mbuthia.
She denied allegations that the company owed the workers more than two months’ salary arguing that payment was done on a weekly basis.
“What we have delayed are a few weeks’ payments to some few workers whom we had promised to pay the weekend,” said Ms Mbuthia.
She said that the management is still making deliberations on the matter as it feels there is a lot of pressure coming from outside to incite workers. BY DAILY NATION




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