The All China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU) which is the umbrella workers body in China yesterday extended a donation of USD 100,000 to the Central Organization of Trade Unions, Kenya (COTU, K) towards COTU (K)’s and its affiliated trade unions capacity building programme.
This was during a courtesy call by the 12 Executive Board Members COTU (K) delegation led by the Minister for Labour and Human Resource Development, Honourable John Munyes and the Secretary General, Francis Atwolli to the Chinese Workers Institute in Beijing run by the ACFTU where the ACFTU top leadership under its Vice Chairperson and First Secretary, Wang Yupu announced that the donation was towards capacity building among Kenya’s top trade union leaders.
The COTU (K) delegation that also included the Treasurer General, Brother Cornelius Ogutu cited Kenya’s sectoral economic performance viz-a-viz research on the artificial perpetual rise in cost of living as perpetuated by both the political and business cartels in the country for purposes of making money for their selfish interests as an area that COTU (K) and its affiliates needed to build capacity on in order to come up with the much needed data based on actual economic performance to effectively engage the government and employers.
While accepting the offer from the ACFTU, COTU (K)’s Secretary General hailed the gesture by the Chinese workers and congratulated the ACFTU leadership for its continued support to the entire African trade union movement and more so its closeness to COTU (K).
The Secretary General appealed to COTU (K) affiliates to prepare for an intensive onslaught capacity building programme at the Tom Mboya Labour College for the purposes of equipping themselves with the necessary tools to confront both employers and government with facts as far as the plight of workers is concerned.
The COTU (K) delegation will be in China until 24th May, 2012 where they are expected to visit more workers projects in various provinces in China.
Francis Atwoli, MBS
SECRETARY GENERAL