COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli has rejected a bill tabled by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei that would have prohibited companies from contacting workers after hours.
In addition, Atwoli said that the measure would result in the elimination of pensions and the casualisation of many jobs, both of which would harm workers.
“Many employees will lose their jobs because the employers will take advantage and make sure that people are not employed on permanent and pensionable terms. They will casualise all jobs because of the difficulty in operations once an employee goes home,” he stated.
The COTU Secretary General said that when contacted after hours, workers are often paid for their time. He continued by saying that most workers choose to put in more hours so they could earn more money.
“When employees are called after work hours, they are not called for free. They are normally paid. Many people want to work overtime to get that extra cash,” he added.
Cherargei said that the bill will safeguard workers’ mental health nationwide and provide them adequate time to be with their family.
“When an employer calls their staff members over the weekends, they are going against the right to privacy by eating into the time an employee would be spending with their families. Family time should be respected and an employee has a right to disconnect from work-related matters from Friday to Monday morning when they are required to report back,” Cherargei stated.
