THE STANDARD
NATIONAL
Francis Atwoli has been the face of labour movement for close to two decades, having been elected as Cotu secretary-general for the first time in 2001.
And as workers today celebrate International Labour Day, Atwoli shares insights on the growth of the trade union from 300,000 members to the current four million, past vicious fights for positions by officials and government interference.
He also reveals how the late trade unionist and Cabinet Minister Tom Mboya inspired his journey to the movement instigated by the need to protect the common interests of workers and in response against industrial capitalism.
Labour Day, which is celebrated on May 1, was birthed following an agitation by workers against government labour policy and in demand for an eight-hour workday in Chicago’s Heymarket in 1886. Several people were killed in the protest.