By Ben Leshau
Kenya Union of Special Needs Education Teachers (KUSNET) National Secretary General, James Torome has appealed to a parliamentary committee not to approve the amended fashion of the Persons With Living Disability (PLWD) Act 2016.
He said the PWD Act of 2003 section 4(f) and (e) stipulates that the umbrella union of the employer (FKE) and that of employees (COTU) be represented but the clause has since been omitted in the new Act.
“We are wondering what the intention of the drafters of this Act was because we wanted the interests of the disabled workers to be represented in the council’s board,” said Torome.
He has, however, asked the Parliamentary Labour Committee to reject the amended Act in totality and asked President Uhuru Kenyatta, not to assent to it should it be approved in Parliament, saying the Act will jeopardize the gains by the trade unions in fighting for the rights of workers with disability.
Nominated MP David ole Sankok has defended his move to remove the Central Organization of Trade Unionists (COTU) and Federation of Kenyan Employers(FKE) from the council’s board in the revised PWD Act 2016.
Mr Sankok who is now Jubilee nominated MP representing special interest groups said he reduced the bodies represented in the board from the previous 27 members to 11 to ease decision-making.