20100919
reuters

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Trade unions have called off a strike set for Monday by workers at Kenya's sole power supplier after reaching a deal over most of their grievances, a power sector union leader said on Sunday.

"We have secured an agreement," Ernest Nadome, general secretary of Kenya Electrical Trade and Allied Workers Union (KETAWU), told Reuters. "We have called it off. Most of the things we've raised, we have got them."

The 8,000 unionised workers at the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), were angry that more than two-thirds of their members are on casual terms and the firm has been using contractors for some tasks, a practice the union wants stopped.

The agreement was reached after Kenya's Labour Ministry stepped in on Friday to broker talks between KETAWU and the KPLC management.

Nadome said details of the agreement would be presented to union members at a meeting later on Sunday.

The strike threat had dented KPLC's shares, which had rallied prior to the strike notice in anticipation of profit growth. KPLC is due to issue its results soon for the full year which ended in June.