Eldoret: The Communication Workers Union of Kenya (CoWU) members in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, joined their counterparts nationwide in a strike on Monday due to delayed salaries.
According to Kenya News Agency, the union workers, led by CoWU Eldoret Branch Chairperson John Kiplimo, expressed their frustration with the employer for allegedly withholding paychecks for seven months and failing to remit statutory deductions, including SHA and NSSF. The members reported that the lack of salaries has led to severe economic hardships, as they struggle to provide for their families and meet financial obligations.
Kiplimo urged the relevant institutions to expedite the payment of dues owed by the government. He highlighted the significant amounts, Sh1.5 billion by the postal corporation and Sh250 million by IEBC, as potential relief for the suffering workers, urging government intervention.
Branch Executive Secretary James Kiptaalam voiced concerns over the distress caused by prolonged periods without pay. He mentioned that the workers have faced difficulties with landlords and struggled to afford basic necessities. Kiptaalam also criticized management for allegedly harassing workers with unnecessary transfers, threatening that the union would seek the removal of those managers instead.
Anne Rutto, a national executive member of the union, claimed that the financial strain has led to family separations and affected the workers' ability to provide quality education for their children. She recounted incidents where banks pressured workers to settle overdue loan installments, which had been deducted from their salaries but not remitted to lenders.
The union, through its General Secretary Benson Okwaro, issued a strike notice to the Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK) on 23rd September 2025, demanding immediate payment of outstanding salaries from March 2025 and clear timelines for remitting dues to pension schemes, banks, saccos, and insurance companies, totaling Sh1,529,525,510.4 by August 2025.
The union noted that members have faced salary delays for up to eight months over the past five years. As of the strike notice, staff had not been paid for six months since March 2025. Attempts at dialogue with management have resulted in unfulfilled promises, leaving the union with no choice but to pursue other means of redress for the affected workers.
The Communication Workers Union of Kenya announced that if conditions were not met by 24th October 2025, its members would cease work in accordance with labor laws. The union is affiliated with the Central Organization of Trade Unions (Kenya) and Union Network International Geneva, and has a recognition agreement with the Postal Corporation of Kenya signed on 9th June 2010.