Cotu fights to retain NSSF stake

Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU) has opposed amendments to the national social security fund bill, 2013 that seeks to lock it, out of the National Social and Security Fund (NSSF). The bill if passed by Parliament would also see the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) blocked from the membership of the board of trustees, a move that the workers umbrella body said is meant to serve ulterior motives.
In Summary
Atwoli wants Bill worked out afresh or else he will mobilise workers to stop remittances to the fund
Changes, if passed by Parliament, would also lock out Federation of Kenya Employer

 By DENNIS ODUNGA
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Workers have opposed a Bill that seeks to lock them out of the National Social Security Fund board of trustees.

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) has warned that the Bill, if passed by Parliament, would also see the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) blocked from membership to NSSF board of trustees.

This, the workers umbrella body said, was meant to serve ulterior motives. Cotu Secretary-General Francis Atwoli said the Bill should be withdrawn and worked out afresh to include the sections that had been deleted, or else the union would mobilise workers across the country to stop their remittance to the fund.

Mr Atwoli blamed Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi and “some cartels” for being behind the new Bill that he observed does not recognise the role of trade unions in representing the workers’ rights.

“The country requires an assertive, experienced and industrious cabinet secretary in the Labour ministry to ruthless deal with cartels and streamline reforms to ensure workers money is protected,” the unionist said during a press conference at Cotu’s headquarters, in Nairobi.

The Bill he cautioned, would give a Cabinet secretary power to appoint anybody to the board as long as he had specialised knowledge and experience, irrespective of whether he was a member of Cotu or FKE.

Mr Atwoli warned that such a move would render trade unions irrelevant, yet they had members with unmatched expertise in labour, human resource, investment, banking and corporate management.

“As things stand now, (Mr) Kazungu can pick anyone from the street and appoint him to sit on that board,” said Mr Atwoli. The appointees he added must be from the employers and Cotu for the reforms so far realised to stand the test of time.

The Secretary-General said Cotu had agreed with members of the Parliamentary Committee on Labour that two representatives had to be from the two institutions.

He cited the short duration taken before retirees access their pension fund, saying in the past it would years besides some beneficiaries being taken through endless circles.

Mr Atwoli appealed to President Uhuru Kenyatta to deal with cartels “making a killing in all sectors of the economy”.

“Fuel prices have being going up and will only drop when they have made the amount they want...”

the sugar industry is now operating at losses and there are deliberate efforts to frustrate construction of a fertiliser factory in order, for the cartels to continue importing fertilisers,” said Mr Atwoli.

Mr Atwoli said adding that there is need for a competent inspectorate department to steer the country ahead.

“Procurement departments both in the government and parastatals, are a den of corruption. They decide which contractors should benefit from jobs,” he said.