Fight Against Machines: Kenyan Tea Workers Battle Automation and Job Losses
Kenyan tea farm workers have taken their fight against mechanization to a new level, burning tea harvesting machines in protest of the potential job losses. The incident has drawn parallels to the fictional battle against machines in the popular Terminator movie franchise, but with a more grounded and human touch.
In the heart of Kenya's tea belt, workers have long relied on manual labor to pick the tea leaves that help fuel the country's economy. However, a recent court ruling in favor of mechanization has left many workers fearful for their livelihoods.
In an act of defiance, a group of tea farm workers set fire to several tea harvesting machines, making a statement against the increasing shift toward automation in the industry. While the burning of the machines may be seen as a desperate act, it reflects the underlying concerns that have been brewing among the workers who fear being replaced by machines.
Community leaders, like Jones Mutai, warn of increased insecurity due to rising unemployment. Mutai believes that displaced workers will take out their frustrations on the wealthy, who will ultimately bear the burden of the entire community.
Despite the workers' concerns, the Kenya Tea Growers Association maintains that embracing mechanization is the only way to ensure the tea industry's survival. CEO Apollo Kiarie argues that mechanization will reduce production costs by around 40%, allowing the sector to remain competitive in the global market.
The association also contends that machines will never fully replace human labor in the tea estates. However, as thousands of tea workers face job loss, the burning of harvesting machines serves as a stark reminder that the transition to automation has real and tangible consequences for the people whose livelihoods depend on the tea industry.
As the world continues to grapple with the implications of automation and mechanization, the struggle of Kenya's tea workers serves as a powerful reminder that the fight against machines is not always a futuristic, dystopian scenario but rather a very real, human story.
Sources:
Here more recent. It's not directly about fight against machines. But about sexual exploitation at tea farms... There a moment in video when ex workers mention that they burned harvesting machines.
It might be related. Chicago people destroyed Tesla
1 comment