TUC warns again of alleged plans to Privatize Mombasa Port.

The Trade Unions Congress TUC reiterated on Friday that sacking of Kenya Ports Authority striking workers was allegedly motivated by pressure to streamline Mombasa port privatization plans.
TUC Secretary general Charles Mukhwaya termed the recent sacking of 28 KPA workers unconstitutional.

‘Our investigations reveal that there are investors who want to privatize the port of Mombasa. The   investors realized that laying off staff was a way of increasing profits. Government Parastatals should be privatized only when they are making losses. However KPA makes billions of profits’ alleges Mukhwaya.

Mukhwaya predicted a loss of jobs in case the alleged privatization plans sail through,  adding that most prosperous ports have never been privatized.

‘The management envisaged that under a private operator the port would increase its profits. To achieve that they felt it necessary to reduce the population of the work force from over 7,000 to 2,000 workers. As a trade union we cannot sit and watch workers lose their livelihoods’ he added.

Address the press also in Nairobi, Deputy Secretary General for TUC Mudzo Nzili said the strike was legal and workers participating in industrial action are not liable to dismissal.
‘No one has ever declared that strike illegal,’ says Mudzo .

The recently formed TUC, has since threatened to mobilize Kenyans to reject the privatization of the port.

Kenya government through the KPA management has however denied ever having plans to privatize the Port   envied as main gateway to East Africa by sea.

Trade Unions Congress TUC draws its affiliate membership from Dock Workers Union and Kenya National Union of Teachers –KNUT.