Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) members from Naivasha under the Kenya Plantations and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU) have demanded that Secretary-General Francis Atwoli resign from his position, or they will walk out of the union.
The union members, who had turned out in hundreds to oppose Atwoli's reign, accused him of being a selfish man who didn't know the issues union members were going through and instead was swayed by top leaders.
They argued that COTU was just interested in workers’ monthly contributions and had failed to address the issues of low wages and poor working conditions.
''The time has come for Atwoli to go home, and he must go. The other day he alleged that if he retires, we were going to suffer, let him know, it is not us who will suffer, but those at the top, benefitting from him...his leadership does not affect us he does not know what goes on,'' KPAWU Naivasha Branch Chairman Elias Walekhwa said.
The members lashed out at Atwoli for failing to champion their rights and for better pay during the 24 years he has held the position. They warned Atwoli against underrating them, cautioning that they would lobby other union members to walk out of COTU.
''If we decide to shut the source of the money he is walking around with, we shall do it. Let him not underrate these small unions, or else, we will influence all our members and give direction to walk out of COTU,'' the members continued.
According to the members, Atwoli is surrounded by people who lie to him that COTU is a success, yet it is in a derailed condition and unfair to labour unions at the grassroots.
The decree comes barely two days after the Labour Day celebrations, where Atwoli hinted at the possibility of resignation but revealed that COTU’s board members had endorsed him for another term, and he would respect their decision.
KPAWU poked holes in the entire COTU leadership, arguing that the union is led by elderly individuals over 70 years old, and challenged them to step down and give young leaders an opportunity.
The members have now given Atwoli 21 days to iron out their grievances.
“We are giving Atwoli three weeks to address the challenges of the workers, failure to which we are ready to walk out and look for a union that caters for our needs,” Walekhwa said.
This piles to the recent criticism Atwoli faced from the Federation of Kenyan Employers (FKE) , who accused him of failing to recognize them during labor day celebrations.
