News

The project, Worker Education on Occupational Health and safety in the Graphical Industry in Kenya is scheduled to be completed in June 2011.



Fifteen delegates from the Kenyan Graphical Union Kupripupa participated in a 2 day seminar and to discuss the preparations for the final activity for the project



Bro Rajabu Mwondi opened the seminar and said that the project had proven to be very successful with over 30 activists trained, in addition these activists had then be able to train other workers.



Clauses on HIV/AIDS had also been developed and inserted into Collective Agreements which was a major achievement for the Union.



Bro Mwondi also thanked the sponsoring organisation the Danish Graphical trade union, HK Private, the LO – FTF and UNI Graphical & Packaging for their support over the time of this project. He hoped that with the final evaluation of the project the means could be found to continue to develop the skills of our members involved, as training and education are vitally important to ensure the continued growth of trade unions in this region.



The participants developed a questionnaire as part of the final evaluation process and prepared material for use by the OHS Committees and the Union generally.



Health and safety is clearly trade union business and the improvements in the area of health and safety show that when trade unions are involved then very real progress is made in workplaces.



Many health and safety committees have been formed and reformed and workers trained on how to effectively participate in these committees.



A very successful round table discussion was held with the management of 4 Kenyan printing and packaging companies. The discussions were about ensuring the OHS Act 2007 is implemented, particularly developing effective workplace OHS committees. Training workers on OHS and proper use of PPE as well as holding information sessions for workers and their families on the impact of HIV/AIDS were also discussed. A number of the companies where the Union is active have already held these information sessions which has greatly assisted those families.



A comprehensive policy on HIV/AIDS in the workplace has been developed by Kupripupa though this project and a clause has been inserted in the CBA’s



The workshop was facilitated by the HoD of UNI Graphical & Packaging Steve Walsh.