This archive report was first published on 21 May 2020.
As Kenya inches closer to containing the spread of the coronavirus, labour experts are sounding the alarm on a potential post-pandemic economic crisis that could lead to further job losses.
Representatives from the Federation of Kenya Employers and the Central Organisation of Trade Unions (Cotu) aired their concerns on a KTN News discussion on Tuesday night, warning that restarting the economy and reviving businesses could lead to devastating consequences for workers.
According to Grace Kanyiri, head of Industrial Relations and Legal Services at the FKE, employers lack safety nets to protect laid-off workers, leaving them vulnerable to further economic hardship.
"Post-Covid-19 will be challenging because employers will be reviving businesses yet they do not have a cushion that they can fall back on," Kanyiri said.
Even more alarming, Kanyiri noted that the pandemic is revealing weaknesses in the system that could lead to further devastation for workers, including idle resources and low productivity.
"Because of the coronavirus we are seeing some of the idle resources that we have. You have people at the workplace but what is their productivity? Employers will have to look at that," Kanyiri said.
Kenya Union of Journalists secretary general Erick Oduor added that the sector is likely to experience widespread changes in terms and conditions of employment.
However, Labour Principal Secretary Peter Tum remained optimistic, citing government efforts to mitigate job losses and create an inter-agency committee to support migrant workers.
But lawyer Hillary Kiplangat and Oduor countered that employers should not suspend employees' rights, even during the pandemic.
"There has been a disruption of many of the legal entitlement of employees but the pandemic is not an excuse for suspension of employee rights," said Kiplangat.
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