Leader of dockers’ union in Kenya re-elected

http://www.itfglobal.org/news-online/index.cfm/newsdetail/5907

28 April 2011

The leader of a dockers’ union in Kenya was re-elected earlier this month, following a peaceful vote across 11 polling stations.

Simon Sang was re-elected on 5 April as general secretary of the ITF-affiliated Dock Workers’ Union (DWU), which mainly represents workers in the port of Mombasa. Standing against him was former member of parliament Mwandawiro Mghanga, who was reported to be a government-sponsored candidate. Sang polled 3673 votes; Mghanga only 153.

The workers had been angry over the government’s decision to postpone the elections, which should have taken place a week earlier; it is believed that the move was to give Mghanga more time to campaign.

Addressing the workers, Sang highlighted key areas of work that the union needed to carry out. These included to ensure that port privatisation was stalled and that short-term contract arrangements in the port were replaced with permanent contracts.

Joseph Katende, ITF Africa regional secretary, reported that the workers were “wild with songs of victory”. He said: “In their songs workers enumerated the good things that Sang’s team had done for them over the past four years. The workers also praised the ITF for standing by them during their trying moments when trade union democracy was being threatened.”

Others elected to key positions in the DWU include: Suzan Ayoyi, a member of the ITF Africa executive board, as union trustee, Betty Makena as national gender chairperson; Judith Abuka, ITF Africa dockers’ section vice-chair, as deputy treasurer; Jeffer Kiti as union chair. The union’s executive now also includes two young workers – Charles Wamboyi and Nana Mote.

The elections were supervised by the commissioner for labour assisted by the interim Independent Electoral Commission of Kenya and the Kenya police.