Why I have been silent on cost of living - Francis Atwoli

Central Organisation of Trade Unions (COTU) Secretary General Francis Atwoli has come out to explain his perceived silence in the ongoing conversation about the high cost of living and increased taxation in the country.

This comes following backlash from, among other quarters, opposition leader Raila Odinga who accused him of abandoning his role of defending workers’ rights and instead aligning himself with the government.

Atwoli, speaking during the 5th Congress of the International Confederation of Trade Unions Africa (ITUC-Africa) held in Nairobi on Tuesday, said he has held talks with President William Ruto on the contentious issues.

The COTU boss intimated that the union has already submitted a list of its irreducible minimums to the President, and the timeline for which they expect them to be effected, hence they have no qualms at the moment.

“Many people are asking why is COTU not speaking up about the cost of living...why COTU is not talking about the rising taxation...but I can assure you that I have engaged the President, and he has given us his side of the story, and we have given him ours. And we have given ourselves time when we expect things to change,” Atwoli stated.

Acknowledging the concerns raised by the public, Atwoli expressed gratitude towards employers who have actively addressed the issue of the cost of living.

He highlighted the unique position employers hold in being able to transfer these costs to consumers/workers and called for collaboration between the two parties in order to alleviate suffering.

“I want to thank employers for talking a lot about the cost of living. Employers have someone that they can pass the cost to and the expenses of doing business. This someone is a consumer or a worker,” he said.

"As workers, we have nobody that we can pass the burden to, and that is why we need to come together as employers talk about the cost of living."

Mr. Odinga recently slammed Atwoli for failing to speak out for workers amid the tough economic times occasioned by taxation efforts put in place by the Kenya Kwanza government.

"As the leader of the labour union, you [Atwoli] should be at the forefront of defending the interests of the workers. We are now doing your job," the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya chief previously said.

"If the workers' union is allied with the government, there will be a problem. There are usually three sides: the workers, the government and the employers. Each has its own point of view."