COWU Eldoret Branch Down Tools Over Unpaid Salaries and Statutory Deductions
Unfortunately, Okwaro continued, the corporation has never honored its promise, hence the decision by workers to take industrial action.
The union indicated that continued disregard for workers' welfare would not only disrupt operations but also continue to affect staff morale and the corporation's image. Photo/Achieng Kemuma.
By Achieng Kemuma
Members of Communication Workers Union of Kenya (COWU) in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, have downed their tools in a strike to protest late payment of wages and failure to deduct statutory deductions.
The strike, called by COWU Eldoret branch chairman John Kiplimo, has turned the spotlight on what the workers describe as months of financial suffering at the hands of the Postal Corporation of Kenya (PCK). Kiplimo said that the employees have gone without salaries for seven months, and crucial deductions such as NHIF, NSSF, and SACCO contributions have not been made to the respective institutions. He said that the majority of staff are now unable to provide for basic needs such as rent, food, and school fees for their children.
The prolonged delay has brought workers to desperate levels, and some have been forced to borrow to survive,” Kiplimo lamented, urging the government and PCK management to handle the issue with the seriousness that it deserved.
In a September 23, 2025, official strike notice, COWU General Secretary Benson Okwaro directed the corporation to settle all the outstanding arrears of salaries since March 2025. The union also directed PCK to come up with a comprehensive scheme to remit over KSh 1.5 billion owing to pension funds, banks, insurance firms, and other financial institutions as of August 2025.
Photos By Achieng Kemuma
The letter revealed that this is not the first time that PCK workers have faced salary arrears. In the past five years, employees have continuously endured delays of up to eight months, despite the fact that there have been several meetings between the union and postal management with the aim of finding a lasting solution. Unfortunately, Okwaro continued, the corporation has never honored its promise, hence the decision by workers to take industrial action.
“Having exhausted all avenues of dialogue, we have now reached a point where a strike is our only alternative,” the union’s letter read in part.
The union also warned that failure to address the issues in good time saw members withdrawing their services from October 24, 2025, under Section 76 of the Labour Relations Act (2007).
COWU, which is affiliated with Union Network International (Geneva) and works under the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU-K), reminded PCK that the two entities have been guided by a recognition agreement of June 9, 2010. The union indicated that continued disregard for workers’ welfare would not only disrupt operations but also continue to affect staff morale and the corporation’s image.
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