One glaring omission in the Draft Kenyan Constitution currently in circulation is that the document does not carter for the interests of workers in Kenya. In any country, workers occupy a special position because they are the creators of wealth and the providers of services that runs a country. With their peasant counterparts who feed the Nation, workers form the most important class especially in a society like Kenya because it is them who toil to pay taxes that are routinely looted by corrupt politicians who have converted the State into an institution through which they can grab the national wealth.
Today, 4th January 2010, Matatu Owners Association has called for a three day strike to protest against police harassment, extortion by police and illegal arrests of drivers and conductors working on Kenyan roads. In any democratic society, strike actions especially by exploited workers living on starvation wages are well recognized as fundamental tools of struggle especially in a capitalist society where the only commodity workers can sell to the capitalist class is their labour power. Going on strike to demand better working conditions as Matatu Workers are demanding is a well recognized demand in all countries where the rule of law is applicable and where the rights of workers are recognized.
In Kenya, strike actions have, since “independence”, been criminalized by the State mainly to prevent workers from paralyzing State activities through the well-tested method of downing tools. Although the Coalition government in Kenya claims to be democratic, Matatu Wokers have been warned that stern action will be taken by the State if they proceed with the planned three day strike that is supposed to begin on Monday, January 4th. Instead of addressing the grievances presented by these Workers, they are being intimidated and threatened with violence by the very State that ought to be protecting their basic rights and freedoms.
When criminalizing the planned strike, Police Commissioner, Mathew Iteere, warned that “We will be on the roads to ensure people carry on with their activities normally. Some of those calling for the strike are criminals and will be dealt with accordingly,” he said. He added that a contingent of police, paramilitary GSU and secret police had been mobilized to ensure that organizers of the strike are dealt with thoroughly.
The tactic of intimidation of Kenyan workers by agents of the State normally works because Workers in Kenya are not a political factor but spectators in the power structure. The reason for the successful emasculation and intimidation of Workers is because this class is not organized politically. In other countries where Worker’s consciousness is higher especially on labour issues, and where trade Union leaders are not pocketed by the State, Workers have a very strong political influence. Apart from lack of organization and poor leadership, there is a myth in Kenya that Workers cannot engage in politics. Many Workers belong to the hopeless political Parties but they have no understanding that with the right leadership, they can set up their Parties and begin to vie for power on a Workers platform.
From Sectorial to National Strikes
Unfortunately, the situation is unlikely to change as long as ideas about a Worker’s Party or a Worker’s Democratic system of government remains the preserve of academics and intellectuals at institutions of higher learning.
In an ideal situation where Workers have political representation through their Party, the current harassment and intimidation being faced by Matatu or any section of striking Workers could not have arisen because it could have been the responsibility of the Party to defend striking workers and address their interests.
In such a Party, workers in other sectors could have shown solidarity with the striking workers through their Party or even Trade Unions because an attack on one section of Workers is an attack on all Workers in Kenya. Today, it is Matatu workers and tomorrow, it will be Teachers, Bankers, Medics, Hotel workers, Factory workers and so forth who will be facing threats through criminalization of strike actions by a rogue State.
Collectively and as a class of exploited people, Kenya has more than 10 million workers and this translates into ten million votes if Workers were to have their own Party. Workers in Kenya are probably the biggest “tribe” in the country and the reason why they have persistently failed to organize themselves politically to compete for power is because they have had no leaders who can show the road to power. If workers are the producers of wealth in Kenya (a point that is indisputable), reason dictates that they should have a say on how this wealth in shared. Kenya is in a situation where the producers of wealth sit aside to watch as the wealth they have produced are looted by corrupt politicians calling themselves MPs.
The impending strike by Matatu workers is not the last one by Workers in Kenya and my view is that it too, will be defeated because the strike has no political support from a single Party including the two giant ruling Parties of ODM and PNU. What will happen is that the State, through its agencies, will make false promises that Worker’s demands will be addressed before the situation gets back to normal. The strike has no support from the Civil Society whose leaders should have shown solidarity with the striking workers even in the name of defending their right to personal security at work, the right to go on strike to demand their rights and the right to demand freedom from exploitation by corrupt traffic police well known for their extortionist tendencies.
While workers in Kenya need to awaken to the realities of Worker’s politics, Kenyans who understand this brand of politics also need to team up to address the question of setting up a Workers Party.
In the past, Teachers and even University lecturers have succeeded in gaining concessions from the State especially on the question of pay rises. However, for the conditions of all workers in Kenya to improve, this class will have to move from sectorial strikes to national strikes with clear political demands such as a minimum living wage for all workers in Kenya. Many workers are doing their jobs under very insecure conditions but the problem is that they cannot raise their voices due to fear or lack of organization.
In a situation where Trade Unions are muzzled despite the glaring need for Trade Union intervention in Worker’s struggles, an alternative way of addressing the problem has to be discussed or examined. It is for this reason that a group of Kenyans teamed up last year to set up the Kenya Red Alliance whose politics, program and structure are in the process of being released to the Kenyan and International publics.
Okoth Osewe
Interim Secretary
Kenya Red Alliance (KRA)
About the Author
Of course, politicians are not interested in worker rights (especially matatus) because such issues demand a level of intelligence that is obviously lacking in Kenyan leaders. The issue of matatu and worker rights cannot be classified in terms of ethnicity and as a national issue, is beyond the grasp of Kenya’s politicians.
KSB: That is true. It is time to take this issues up.
I concur that workers rights in kenya, especially ,the non-technocrat”,who are the backbone to our labour market” has never been given light of day,simply because the labour structure only caters for the exposed ethno and techno-political workers,since most of the latters representation understand the equation involved on political and economical rostrum,the majority of non-represented workers are the key to the country`s and regional economical success although not their plights are ignored by the power structure…….i think its a high time we get a ROBBINHOOD in kenya.
This is an example of kenyans that show no respect to other Kenyans especially in business matters.We are so used to be rude or someoneelse is rude to us.The police are known to be very rude and misuse their positions.Think about the airport,everyday people are being harassed,especially kenyan airport workers harassing their fellow kenyans while wazungus get the best smile and welcome.May be we strike by not flying in KLM,Kenya airways.
This shows that our way of confrontation should be changed.What if we approached each other with lowliness, submission and more respect.Compare the way western countries are striving to approach matters in so many ways,E.g. They learn other languages, learn about others cultures,improve on approach,try to invest on their fellow countrymen and they are becoming more and more richer.