KENYA: Hotel Staff Get Salary Increase

The salaries of hotel workers have been increased by nine per cent beginning this month.

This comes after a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) was reached between the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers and the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers last month.

The union’s Mombasa and Kwale branch secretary, Mr Zack Osore, said the nine per cent deal applies to both salaries and house allowances and was registered in the Employment and Labour Relations Court last month.

Hotels in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu are required to pay a monthly minimum entry salary of Sh18,045, up from Sh16,278. They will also pay a minimum house allowance of Sh7,091 a month, up from Sh6,500.

Hotels in other counties like Kilifi and Kwale will pay a minimum entry salary of Sh16,520, up from Sh14,912.

Mr Osore said the pay increases are not negotiable and became effective on September 1.

“Employers who fail to implement the increments will face industrial action,” the trade unionist warned.

At the same time, Mr Osore urged hotel owners to clear salary arrears amounting to millions of shillings.

“Hundreds of employees have been kicked out of their houses for non-payment of rent,” he said.

Mr Osore said the union had appealed to headteachers not to send home the children of hotel workers.

He said the union, which had more than 20,000 members at the Coast, lost more than 10,000 members, who were laid off due to the tourism downturn last year.