The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General, Francis Atwoli, has come under sharp criticism for allegedly failing to recognise the Federation of Kenyan Employers (FKE) during Thursday's Labour Day celebrations.
Speaking to the press on Thursday evening, shortly after the conclusion of the Labour Day event held at Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi, the employers termed Atwoli's move to snub them as unjust.
During the briefing, the Federation’s Chief Executive Officer, Jacqueline Mugo, refuted claims of undermining President William Ruto's administration by failing to adhere to labour laws.
The Federation also dismissed allegations of declining to ratify two key international labour conventions, reiterating that it had acted in good faith and would continue engaging constructively on labour issues.
"There are international conventions which dictate the process to be followed, a country should be ready, it should look at its processes, its laws and systems for implementation," Mugo said.
"It is unfortunate that instead of handling issues through dialogue, which this sector runs on, we are then exposed to the kind of scenario we went through today," she added.
FKE also highlighted the difficult environment most Kenyan employees work in, citing high taxation, economic uncertainty and increased operational costs.
Meanwhile, Atwoli, who presided over the Labour Day event, publicly criticised the Federation for allegedly frustrating the ratification of two International Labour Conventions (ILO).
According to the COTU boss, FKE declined to ratify the ILO Convention 189 on domestic workers and Convention 190 on violence and harassment at workplaces.
Atwoli, while criticising the Federation, called on President William Ruto to convene a meeting with FKE over the issue, adding that the failure to ratify the two labour conventions weakened Kenya's labour standing.
"Anybody frustrating the ratification of the ILO 189 and Convention 190 is frustrating the government. These two conventions have been ratified all over the world," Atwoli commented.
He added, "Your excellency, you need to talk to the Federation of Kenya Employers, you are our person, let them give us support in this direction."
