Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Kenyans.co.ke
Published on 2024-04-15 13:46:51
The Central Organisation for Trade Unions (COTU), led by Francis Atwoli, has recently faced a setback as the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) has issued an order for security guards to stop contributing to the union. This directive was communicated by the Chief Executive Officer of PSRA, Fazul Mahamed, who stated that all private companies must immediately cease their contributions to COTU.
The decision by PSRA was based on the failure of COTU to effectively advocate for the rights of security workers, despite receiving significant financial contributions from them. The statement released by PSRA emphasized that COTU has consistently neglected its mandate to advocate for the rights of security workers, despite the substantial membership and contributions from this sector.
Furthermore, the Authority criticized COTU for not ensuring that private security workers receive a minimum wage as previously proposed. Fazul Mahamed pointed out that private security workers constitute a large part of COTU’s membership, with each worker having a fee deducted from their salary ranging from Ksh150 to Ksh620.
In addition, PSRA has launched an investigation into the collection and utilization of the funds deducted from security workers. Preliminary findings revealed that these workers have collectively contributed billions of shillings to COTU. PSRA warned private security firms that any organization found to be in violation of the directive risks having their license revoked.
The directive from PSRA comes after the government rejected the authority’s plan to set a minimum wage of Ksh30,000 for security workers. This decision puts pressure on private security firms to comply with the order to cease contributions to COTU.
The impact of this directive is significant, as it affects the financial stability and influence of COTU within the private security sector. It also highlights the importance of accountability and transparency in the collection and use of union funds. Moving forward, private security companies will need to adhere to the directive to avoid potential consequences for their licensing status.
Overall, this development underscores the challenges faced by labor unions in fulfilling their mandate to advocate for the rights and welfare of workers. It also raises questions about the effectiveness of unions in representing diverse sectors of the workforce and the need for greater accountability in the use of union funds.
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