The Kenya Building, Construction, Timber, Furniture and Industries Employees Union (KBCTIEU) is strengthening its presence at the Strabag International by training shop floor leaders who are involved in the construction of Thiba dam in Rukenya, Kenya.
The dam is 40 meters tall and 1km long in an area of 520 acres which is expected to provide water to over 7,500 hectares of Mwea settlement scheme and to the surrounding farmers once it is completed.
The project is funded by a partnership of Japanese Government through Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) at a cost of 12 billion shillings (USD 117.6 million) and Kenyan government through National Irrigation Board at a cost of 5 billion shillings (USD 49 million). The total cost for the project is 17 billion shillings (USD 166.6 million). The project is expected to be complete in 45 months.
STRABAG INTERNATIONAL has been contracted to undertake the construction work of the dam and has been at the site since March 2018 where 25 percent of the construction work has been accomplished.
The company has a workforce of approximately 400 workers and the KBCTFIEU has recruited 310 workers who are full members of the union.
The workshop took place on the 15 May 2019 and gathered 22 participants of which there were five participants from the management side, five union officials and 12 shop stewards. The training was focused on a number of topics including roles and responsibilities of a shop steward, leadership and communication skills, how to handle grievances, understanding the collective bargaining agreement, and fundamentals of a trade union.