Postal Corporation workers have petitioned the National Assembly to help them unlock a salary impasse with the parastatal.
The workers have not been paid since March due to a cash crunch in one of the country’s oldest parastatals.
Wajir East MP Rashid Kassim disclosed the sorry state of affairs at the corporation, saying it has been posting losses in the past five years.
The MP, on behalf of the petitioners, told the House on Wednesday that the financial challenges had made it difficult to settle the salary arrears of the over 2,000 employees.
PCK’s monthly salary budget is about Sh200 million. A 2016 Auditor General’s report declared the corporation insolvent.
The workers want Parliament’s Labour Committee to investigate the matter and resolve the issues causing the delays.
They want ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru to initiate the process of rescuing the entity from the financial crisis.
“We pray that the National Assembly makes appropriate recommendations to address the circumstances raised in this petition,” they say lamenting that their efforts to have the Postal Corporation address their plight have been unsuccessful.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has aggravated the situation with minimal postal activities,” the petitioners say.
The situation has been aggravated by the decline in use of postal services. Lawmakers in support of the petition said it was time a conversation was held about the viability of the Postal Corporation.
Kathiani’s Robert Mbui said the corporation must change its strategy to remain afloat in the face of advancement in communications technology.
“The system of postal corporation is being overtaken by technological changes…Posta needs to change its strategy to remain afloat.”
Nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi said the corporation should be made a national logistics company.
“Let there be a directive compelling all ministries and state agencies to seek courier and logistics services from Posta Kenya. That way, there will be serious cash flow for the corporation as was the case when it handled IEBC’s logistics in the last elections,” Osotsi said.
The entity has been grappling with cash flow challenges as the performance of its revenue streams continues to decline by the year.
Posta earns income through the sale of stamps, bulk postage, post office box rentals and Expedited Mail Services (EMS).
