Flower farmers in Naivasha are now employing workers on contract in a bid to address the rising wage bill according to the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU). The move has attracted the wrath of the union with fears that more workers could lose their jobs in the coming year.

Early in the year, Oserian limited which is one of the largest flower farms in Naivasha laid off over 2,000 workers and put them on contract. The farm attributed the laying off to poor European market and the high cost of production in the last couple of years with the prices remaining stagnant. “We have contracted out all our flower packing operations and similarly put all our non-rose crop production on a contract basis,” said the farm while defending its actions.

According to Ferdinand Juma the KPAWU, the new move spelt doom for the labor sector as workers on contract were not members of union. Juma said that the new trend was spreading from one farm to another adding that job security was a major concern in the sector. He identified Oserian, Shalimar, Beautyline and Olij as some of the farms that had already placed majority of their working force on contract...