THE STANDARD By
Kamau Muthoni |
February 2nd 2021 at 11:19:27 GMT +0300
Workers pruning tea (PHOTO: Phillip Orwa)
Thousands of tea pickers are likely to lose their jobs after the High Court cleared a tea company s move to mechanise tea picking.
Justice James Makau declared that Unilever Tea Kenya Ltd had the right to adopt new technology, affirming a Court of Appeal decision against the Kenya Plantations and Agricultural Workers Union (KPAWU). The union was seeking a ban on tea harvesting machines.
“In view of the aforesaid and as agreed by both petitioner’s and respondent’s counsel, I find as decided in the Court of Appeal decision hereinabove, the petitioner has a right to mechanise and adopt technology in its operations,” ruled Makau.