Thika Postal workers join nationwide strike over seven-months salary arrears


Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) employees in Thika have joined their colleagues across the country in a nationwide strike demanding the immediate settlement of salaries withheld for the past seven months.

Led by Evans Nyaga, Chairperson of the Communication Workers Union (COWU) Thika Branch, the workers staged a walkout on Monday, calling on government agencies and state corporations indebted to PCK to urgently clear outstanding payments running into millions of shillings. They argue that these funds are crucial to addressing their prolonged financial crisis.

(RELATED VIDEO: Thika Postal Workers Go On Strike To Protest 7 Months Without Pay)

Nyaga said the situation has become unbearable, adding that some employees have been forced into desperate measures.

“We are tired. We cannot continue working without pay while others sit on money owed to this corporation,” he said.

Michael Kimani, a PCK staffer in Thika, painted a grim picture of the workers’ daily struggles. He revealed that some staff were forced to sleep in the office or in delivery vehicles to avoid disciplinary action the following day for lateness, simply because they cannot afford proper transport or housing.

The industrial dispute stems from more than seven months of unpaid wages and statutory deductions that have gone unremitted for years, some as far back as 2015, amounting to over Ksh. 1.5 billion.

The workers have vowed to remain on strike until their demands are fully met. 

After the demonstration, the group proceeded to the Sub- County Labour Office to present their petition and seek government intervention.

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