Kenya port workers end strike, warn of further protests
By Joseph Akwiri MOMBASA (Reuters) - Striking workers at East Africa’s biggest port in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa returned to work on Friday after being warned they could lose their jobs, but said protests over higher health care costs could resume next week. The work stoppage has disrupted business at the biggest in the region, which handles imports such as fuel for Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, South Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Somalia but the port's management has said normal services would resume by Monday. Workers protesting higher deductions for the government's national health insurance scheme refused to work on Wednesday and Thursday, paralysing operations at the port and prompting port management to advertise their positions in local media. The port has already lost up to 100 million shillings ($1 million) so far because of the strike, according to its managing director Gichiri Ndua. Ships and cargo trucks remained stranded for over 24 hours as key entry points to the port remained closed. Sylvan Mghanga, an official at the port's communications department, said workers had returned to work fearing they would lose their jobs. "The management has never made such an announcement before, so it shocked and scared everyone, and that is why they have returned," said Mghanga, referring to a Friday morning deadline for striking workers to resume duty or be fired. Union officials said the strike's halt was only temporary. "We have not called off the strike. Workers just went back today after sympathising with many stranded businessmen at the port," Simon Sang, the port workers' union secretary general, told Reuters in Mombasa. "But on Monday it will be bigger, because even other civil servants across the country will join in." Workers were concerned that the government had increased the monthly National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) deductions from 320 shillings ($3.22) to 1,700 shillings ($17.13) without increasing their salaries, union officials say. ($1 = 99.5500 Kenyan shillings)
