News

The Kenyan trade union Kenya National Private Security Workers (KNPSWU) represented by General Secretary Isaac Andabwa and National Treasurer Joash Soita, were presented with the Property Services Award for the best organising project of 2014 at the Global Conference in liverpool UK last week.

The union has grown in the last few years from 2,000 to over 24,000 members and in the last few months has grown by over 9,000 as part of a joint project with UNI. They are currently negotiating a recgnition agreement with G4S and have successfully campaigned for a new law on the inspection and regulation of private security companies. This outstanding success is recognised by UNI as one that has been achieved in the most difficult of circumstances. The ongoing terrotist situation in Nairobi has seen a number of guards killed and in fact Joash`s 2 daughters were caught in a recent bomb blast in Nairobi. They are both thankfully out of hospital and recovering well.

Delegates were overwhelmingly impressed by the KNPSWU and its delegation.  They were pictured with many delegates from all over the world and here are pictured after accepting the award from the President of UNI Global Property Services Tom Balanoff.

KNPSWU replied

`On my behalf and that of Kenya National Private Security Workers’ Union fraternity, wish to extend our warm comradely greetings to you and in particular your collective and tireless efforts in pursuit of UNI Global campaigns in Africa and Europe.

We also register our deepest appreciations for being UNI Global best Organizing Award nominated for 2014.

We, Kenya National Private Security Workers’ Union shall stand to defend the goals and objectives of UNI Global in Africa. Furthermore we have no words to express our happiness in regards to our appointment to sit on the UNI Global union steering committee. This is really an isolated case which we are all proud of.

Lastly, may we take this opportunity to once again salute all the leadership of UNI Global and all the delegates who attended Global meeting from 3rd to 4th June in Liverpool. It was really good and we learnt a lot from the leaders in Europe.

My message to all comrades is that organization campaigns is the engine of any given particular Union. Therefore we have just started.

Thank you.`