Kakuzi staff are all smiles as the firm announced it will adopt a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Kenya Plantation and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU).

The 2022-2023 CBA includes a 9 per cent pay hike for 2022 and a further 9 per cent for 2023 following concerted talks between Kakuzi, KPAWU officials and workers’ Shop Stewards.

Kakuzi MD Chris Flowers says the pay hikes are effective November 2022 and the firm will backdate due payments to January and load another 9 per cent onto the Kakuzi unionisable staff salaries in January 2023.

Flowers lauded the workers for their good work in producing export quality Avocados, macadamia, livestock, forestry and blueberries, among others at its orchards and farms in Makuyu, Murang’a county.

“The Kakuzi management celebrates our shop stewards and KPAWU leadership for their commitment to reviewing the CBA in a most cordial environment,” said Flowers.

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He added: “The give-and-take engagements and negotiations allowed us to attain a win-win position on several clauses, including the 9 per cent salary increase effective this month and another 9 per cent in 2023.”

Kakuzi, which boasts of more than 2,500 workers, says it is spearheading the rollout of robust Human rights initiatives, SIKIKA, including Kenya’s first independent Operational Level grievance mechanism (OGM) programme.

The Kenyan agribusiness company added that it will work with KPAWU to hold continuous industrial relations training programmes to boost compliance with global standards.