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{
    "id": 707129,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/707129/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 118,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Wangari",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13123,
        "legal_name": "Martha Wangari",
        "slug": "martha-wangari"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, I rise to table a petition to the Senate on behalf of residents and flower farms in Naivasha Sub-county of Nakuru County on poor working conditions in flower farms. Mr. Speaker, Sir, this Petition touches on critical issues. (1) Handling of harmful substances (a) THAT, hundreds of Kenyans are trying to make a living in flower farms and are languishing in poverty, weakened health status and facing untimely deaths as a result of exposure to hazardous substances in flower farms within Naivasha, Nakuru County. (b) THAT the employers are blatantly flouting provisions of the Occupational Safety and Health Act which mandates them with the responsibility of providing protective clothing to employees within the zones that have hazardous substances. (c) THAT the employers have resorted to cutting operational costs relating to provision of protective clothing by forcing employees to use torn clothing, recycling of worn out clothes, purchase of substandard clothing from China that offers no protection even when new and offering sizes of protective clothing that do not fit the employees. (d) THAT the employers do not educate the employees on the expected side effects of handling each chemical and in all cases, employees are never given choices to evaluate which chemicals do not compromise further their already weakened health status. (e) THAT each chemical sprayed on flowers inside the greenhouses has an indicated period of time within which a greenhouse should remain tightly sealed and within which no human being should enter. Normally, it is 30 days. The employers have been forcing employees to enter such greenhouses before the 30 days are over to do pruning or spraying. This happens all the time and constitutes over 50 per cent of casualties in the flower sector. (2) Labour Remuneration and Welfare. (a) THAT the gross pay of a flower farm employee is Kshs7,500, which includes a basis pay of Kshs5,500 and other Kshs2,000 as housing allowance. This is standard pay that is never raised and is below the recommended minimum wage. (b) THAT the employees work for eight hours a day, six days a week. (c) THAT the flower farms do not provide healthcare in the form of medical allowance, pay sick leave and well equipped dispensaries with the capacity to handle health complications arising from exposure to hazardous substances. (d) THAT there is no career growth in the flower farms such as an employee who joined 10 years ago and the one joining today are paid the same salary. (e) That the employers do not provide any form of empowerment trainings in handling hazardous substances even when the manufacturers are willing. (f) That a form of slavery thrives in the flower farms where employees have no say and are fired instantly whenever they attempt to raise a concern. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate"
}