Workers at Deyvani Food Industries, the company associated with Daima Milk, have raised fresh concerns over alleged low wages, harassment, unfair dismissals and poor treatment of casual employees.

In the latest complaint, a worker claims that casual labourers at the company are still being paid KSh 380 for eight hours of work, despite the company operating in Nakuru, which is now a city.

The worker says the situation has remained unchanged despite earlier complaints and public appeals for intervention.

According to the source, the pay becomes even worse when factory operations are interrupted. They claim that if machines break down, casual workers may be paid less than KSh 380 even though they reported to work and remained inside the factory.

“How can a worker who is paid KSh 380 for eight hours receive no pay if machines break down when the worker is in the factory? If you work fewer hours you are paid less than KSh 380. Is this fair labour practice?” the worker asked.

The source further claims that casual workers receive no pay when they fall sick, no pay on off days, and no pay during holidays, leaving some employees earning less than KSh 10,000 a month in the current economy.

The worker described the conditions as worse than those reported in other companies that have recently been accused of poor staff welfare.

“If you could ask workers there, you could highlight that it is worse than Artcaffé. The pay is peanuts. How do you pay a worker KSh 380? If one falls sick and is not working there is no pay. No pay on off days. No pay on holidays,” the source claimed.

The latest claims also include serious allegations of harassment of female staff by a production manager identified by the source as Bernard Ojode.

According to the worker, some female employees allegedly fear speaking out because they may be suspended, dismissed or quietly removed from the work roster through the third-party labour provider said to be supplying casual workers to the company.

The source claims that many casual workers are engaged through a third party known as Manpower, and that if a worker refuses or falls out with the production manager, complaints can allegedly be made to the agent, after which the employee may be suspended or not called back to work.

“Female workers cannot raise these issues for fear of being sacked. Some are sacked due to different reasons. Casuals are under a third party called Manpower. If you refuse the manager and he complains to the agent with fake complaints, you are either suspended or not called to work,” the worker alleged.

The source also claimed that the production manager recently dismissed a machine operator over what they described as a petty reason.

In another allegation, the worker claimed that the same manager allegedly used a former operator, who had previously been dismissed for being drunk, to work in another company for his own benefit, and later allegedly failed to pay him properly after being paid.

The employee further alleges that the company’s chief operating officer is aware of the production manager’s behaviour, but no meaningful action has been taken.

“The COO is aware of the manager’s behaviour, but workers, especially female workers, fear being sacked when they speak out. People are leaving, even those under contract, because of stress and harassment,” the source claimed.

The workers also claim that employees can remain casual for years without being absorbed into the company, without pension, retirement benefits or proper job security.

Earlier complaints from workers had also raised concerns over lack of pension, threats, unfair promotions, and the claim that casual workers doing the same work as directly employed staff remain stuck under agents instead of being absorbed.

The latest claims point to deeper questions about labour practices in Kenya’s manufacturing sector, especially where casual workers are supplied through third-party agents and may struggle to raise grievances directly with the main employer.

If casual workers are reporting daily, operating machines, supporting production and helping build a major milk brand, then their pay, safety, dignity and job security should not be treated casually.

The Ministry of Labour should take interest in these allegations and establish whether workers at Deyvani Food Industries are being paid in line with labour laws, whether casual employment is being abused, whether deductions or reduced payments during machine breakdowns are lawful, and whether female workers have safe channels to report harassment without fear of dismissal.

Deyvani Food Industries, Daima Milk, Bernard Ojode, the company’s management and the labour contractor mentioned by workers are all entitled to respond to the allegations.

However, the complaints now being raised are serious. They involve wages, dignity, harassment, job security, possible abuse of casual labour and the treatment of workers who keep the factory running.