Four days after we highlighted the sad story of how Kartasi Industries Limited betrayed a group of its former workers who won a case against them, more helpless Kenyans who have suffered at the hands of the paper manufacturer continue to speak out.
In the latest submission forwarded to our newsdesk, a former long-serving employee has narrated how the company unlawfully and unfairly terminated his contract without following due process as stipulated by Labour Laws.
Despite diligently and efficiently working at Kartasi Industries Limited for over 12 years, Waseem Hussein was neither handed a dismissal letter nor given a reason for his sacking.
In a demand letter dated 29th June 2020, Hussein, through his advocate, argued that for the entirety of his employment at Kartasi Limited, he never received any warnings (verbal or written) for any form of misconduct.
He, therefore, demanded adequate reimbursement as follows:
- Sh91,580 as one month’s payment in lieu of notice of termination
- Sh1,062,328 as payment for unpaid leave
- Sh549, 480 as service pay for his 12 years of work
- Sh549,580 as severance fee
The amount totalled Sh2,252,868.
But in their response, Kartasi denied liability for Hassan’s claim of compensation for loss of employment and unlawful termination.
The case is now at the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi where Hassan hopes to find justice.
“Hi Cyprian
I worked for Kartasi Industries for more than 12 years and I wasn’t paid even a single penny.
I have a case in Court.
Please help me out to recover my dues.
I was terminated one month to coronavirus.
I had to change lawyers my previous lawyer wasn’t active and I didn’t know what was going on.
I have attached all necessary documents including a demand letter written to Kartasi LTD in 2020.
Help me find justice,” Hussein wrote to us.
In a previous article, a disgruntled group of former Kartasi employees divulged how the management at Kartasi Industries Limited acted in contravention to recommendations by the State Department for Labour in regards to a job termination dispute filed on their behalf by the Kenya Union of Printing, Publishing, Paper Manufacturers & Allied Workers (KUPRIPUPA).
READ MORE: KARTASI Industries Betrays Employees Who Won Case Against Paper Manufacturer
As per the verdict issued by the state agency on 22nd March 2021, Kartasi Ltd was directed to reimburse more than 100 long-serving workers who had been irregularly laid off after forcefully signing some shoddy 3-month fixed-term contracts that later expired and were never to be renewed.
This was opposed to their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in 2019 in which Clause 30 on ‘Contract Employees’ was modified to include the stipulation that the new terms would be effected on all future contracts.
If interested, you can read more about it here.
In the meantime, we encourage all Kenyans that have suffered under the hands of Kartasi Industries Limited to feel free and come forward with the details of their plight.
On this platform, the anonymity of our sources is always guaranteed.
Do not be afraid, speak out and help us tame rogue industrial employers in Kenya.
