Kenya: union calls for improved safety standards as worker dies in furnace accident31 March, 2022Kenyan unions are calling for better occupational health and safety (OHS) standards in the steel manufacturing industry after a worker was burnt to death in an open furnace accident at Blue Nile Steel Manufacturing factory in Thika. Blue Nile, which manufactures galvanised wire and other steel products, is one of the largest steel manufacturers in the country.
Kenyan unions campaign against workers’ rights violations at Style Industries10 June, 2021Seven unions affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union are campaigning against workers rights’ violations by Style Industries which is determined not to sign a recognition agreement with the Kenyan Union of Hair and Beauty Workers (KUHABWO).
Kenya: Union success in growing garment and textile sector22 June, 2018Global brands are increasingly eyeing Kenya to source their apparel as the garment and textile sector rebounds after many years of decline. The Tailors and Textile Workers Union is organizing workers and winning good agreements in this growing industry.
Union confronts workers’ rights violations at Petro Oil Kenya22 January, 2020Soon after signing membership forms to join a union, 30 workers at Petro Oil Kenya Limited were dismissed while petrol and diesel stations where the union had majority members were outsourced. The Kenya Petroleum Oil Workers Union (KPOWU), affiliated to IndustriALL Global Union, says it will fight against the workers’ and human rights violations and for the reinstatement of the workers.
Agreements unite formal and informal metal workers in Kenya30 October, 2019To effectively unite, recruit and organize informal metal workers, the Amalgamated Union of Kenya Metal Workers (AUKMW) and other unions have signed agreements with the Ambira Jua Kali Artisans Association and the Migingo Self Help Group Association.
Kenya unions support proposals for unemployment insurance fund22 July, 2021IndustriALL Global Union affiliates in Kenya, which organize in the textile and garment, engineering and auto manufacturing, oil and gas, and other manufacturing sectors, welcome proposals by the government to set up an unemployment insurance fund for retrenched workers or those who resign on medical grounds.
Sexual harassment blocks young women’s training in Kenya’s automotive industry11 August, 2022At a two-day workshop in Nairobi, 3- 4 August, sexual harassment was identified as impeding young women from pursuing learnerships and skills training in Kenya’s automotive industry. One of the participants narrated how difficult it is for young women to enter the industry as technicians, artisans, or mechanics because of the pervasive sexual harassment.
Unions in Sub-Saharan Africa strengthened by solidarity18 April, 2019Unions in Sub-Saharan Africa face economic recession, deindustrialization, and precarious work coupled by high unemployment and poverty. Human and workers’ rights violations are common, including unfair retrenchments when mines and companies are closed.
Unions in Africa campaign for ratification of ILO C19026 June, 2020African governments and unions played a leading role in the negotiations at the ILO leading up to the adoption of Convention 190 on violence and harassment in the world of work. Now, unions are campaigning for the convention to come into force and several governments are advancing the ratification process.
IndustriALL empowers women workers in Kenya21 April, 2015On 24 and 25 March a special training for 25 women from IndustriALL affiliates in Nairobi was organized. The women got an understanding of their role in the family and society and learned about women's leadership. They are leaders who just need the opportunity to take off.
