Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli on Thursday suspended all the Trade Union's engagements with the Labour Ministry.
Issuing a statement from the United Kingdom, Mr Atwoli told union officials who were holding political positions to disregard Labour Cabinet Secretary Phyllis Kandie notice to vacate their offices.
The COTU boss, who is meeting and addressing the Trade Union Congress as the President of Organisation of African Trade Union Unity (OATUU), has instructed his lawyers to file a case against the CS's gazette notice.
The statement read: "COTU will not sit in any meeting chaired by the Cabinet Secretary and/or her agents. Once the secretary general is back from the United Kingdom he will mobilize the entire Kenyan workforce with a view to protecting their constitutionally given constituency and representation in Parliament by their elected leaders."
[caption caption="File image of COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli"]
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Mr Atwoli added that the trade union leaders were not state officers stating that the Ministry ought to have consulted on any issues affecting the unions.
"This is outright witch-hunt meant to intimidate and harass trade unions leaders because of the political views they hold," the SG stated.
Additionally, Atwoli cited Article 97 (1) (c) of the Constitution where workers can have representation in Parliament naming some trade unionists who served as legislators as well including the late Joseph Mugalla, Denis Akumu, Juma Boy and George Muchai.
"Where was the Cabinet Secretary then to issue such orders for them to vacate office? What has changed all of a sudden to warrant such orders?" the COTU boss questioned.
Earlier on Thursday, a Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Annual delegates’ conference in Mombasa was disrupted after members started throwing chairs at Secretary-General Wilson Sossion forcing police to intervene.
[caption caption="File image of Wilson Sossion"]
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Officials from the central region shut down Sossion insisting he had to step down as the head of the Union and focus on his parliamentary duties.
Things escalated and turned into an ugly scene due to the sharp political and leadership differences within the union.
This is after it emerged that Sossion, who is a nominated Member of Parliament, had maintained he would not relinquish his position at the giant union even after a gazette notice to vacate office.
