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More than 11 million man hours were lost due to strikes last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.

President Kenyatta said last year alone, the government received 44 strike notices which brought industrial unrest affecting more than 300,000 workers.

“Although all the strikes reported were resolved through conciliation and mediation under the Ministry of Labour and other government agencies, these are still massive losses for a country that faces other major challenges,” he said in his Labour Day speech read by Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi at Uhuru Park Thursday.

President Kenyatta said strikes, go-slows do not advance the country’s prosperity especially when demands for better pay are not matched by productivity.

He called on Kenyan workers to raise their productivity even as they seek better terms.

The Head of State said whereas the constitution gives workers the freedom to strike, their actions must be within the law.

“It is also vital to remind the nation that the demands of our workers ought to be made within the established institutions, such as the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

“There is no doubt that Kenyan workers are among the most diligent to be found anywhere, but even as you pursue claims for better pay and better conditions, do not risk the health of the national economy, on which we all depend,” he said.

Credit: Daily Nation