肯尼亞小巴司機爲生計無法罷工

A Kenyan labor organization has called for minibus drivers to strike across the country this week to protest high fuel costs. But many drivers went to work anyway, saying they can not afford to miss a day's work.

肯尼亞的一個勞工組織本週呼籲全國小巴司機舉行罷工，以抗議燃料價格過高。但是，很多小巴司機還是繼續工作。他們說，他們損失不起一天的收入。

It was supposed to be quiet on the streets of Nairobi, after the Central Organization of Trade Unions in Kenya (COTU) urged minibus drivers to keep their “matatus” in park. But with so many customers traveling out of the bustling capital to visit their family homes and villages for the holidays, the drivers decided they could not sit idle.

內羅畢的街頭應該是沉寂的。因爲肯尼亞勞工聯盟中央組織曾經呼籲小巴司機把他們的車輛停在公園。可是，由於這個肯尼亞首都有這麼多的旅客要利用假日外出探訪親友和前往鄉間，司機們決定，他們不能靜坐着不顧生意。

Dennis Kiboni stood by his matatu, waiting for passengers on a busy downtown street corner.

丹尼斯·基彭尼在鬧區街頭，站在他的小巴旁邊等候顧客。

“Yeah it is a busy time, it is a festival season, business is booming it is on a peak," he said. "How can we strike when business is booming, it is on a peak? It is very hard.”

他說：“這是一個繁忙的時刻，一個假日的季節，生意興旺極了。我們怎麼能夠在生意大好時候罷工？這很難辦到。”

The strike follows labor protests by doctors, teachers and postal workers, all demanding better wages.

這項罷工決定緊隨在醫生、教師和郵政工人抗議之後。他們的訴求都是改善待遇。

COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli says the cost of fuel not only affects bus drivers' wages, but also makes Kenyan businesses less competitive in the region.

肯尼亞工業組織中央組織的祕書長法蘭西斯·阿特沃裏說，燃料價格不只影響到小巴司機的收入，也削弱肯尼亞廠商在這個地區的競爭力。

“If you go to Uganda, Tanzania and what have you, the prices on petrol are cheaper compared to Kenya," said Atwoli. "And this has pushed everything high. Even the cost of production here in this country is high, most of our factories are closing down because we do not have a constant supply of electricity.”

他說：“如果你要到烏干達、坦桑尼亞等國家，當地的油料價格就比肯尼亞便宜。這一點導致所有物價上漲。甚至肯尼亞的生產成本也高了。我們的工廠大多數都關閉了，因爲我們沒有持續供應的電力。”

Atwoli is calling for lowering fuel prices by 30 percent, and says the government has been responsive to union demands.

阿特沃裏呼籲電費下降百分之30。他並且說，政府已經對工會的要求作出迴應。

But while matatu drivers agree with the union's cause, many say even the warning of a strike, announced over the weekend, has kept customers away.

儘管小巴司機同意工會週末通知的罷工號召，但是很多人認爲，罷工警告使顧客們不去光顧小巴生意。

One driver, Gabriel, sat in a line of parked vehicles, waiting for enough passengers to make his route north of town worthwhile.

一名名叫加布裏埃爾的司機坐在他排列停靠的車上，等候足夠的北上旅客上車，以便能在這趟行程中賺到一些錢。

“There is no passengers because they are fearing about the strike," said Gabriel. "It is very bad, because some of the owners of these vehicles are paying loans. And even us, workers, we want something to celebrate in December.”

他說：“我等不到旅客，因爲他們都擔心罷工。這樣很糟，因爲有些車主要付購車貸款。即使我們工作人員，也需要收入來度過12月份的節日。”Kenya's inflation rate rose to nearly 20 percent last month, driven up by rising food and fuel prices. The Kenyan shilling, which was in decline for much of the year against the U.S. dollar contributed to the rising cost of living.

上個月，由於食品和燃料價格上升，肯尼亞的通貨膨脹上漲將近百分之20。由於生活開支上升，今年大多時候，肯尼亞貨幣“先令”對美元的比值下跌。

Desperate for relief from high prices, workers are growing more frustrated with the widening gap between the rich and poor.

肯尼亞勞工渴盼從高物價中獲得解脫，他們對貧富之間的差異不斷增大感到沮喪。

Another matatu driver, Francis, is waiting for customers in downtown Nairobi.

另外一名小巴司機法蘭西斯在等候前往內羅畢市區的旅客。

“The more they push us, the more we will strike to those people, we will go to their houses and look for what we can eat there, in their fridge,” said Francis.

他說：“他們越是擠迫我們得厲害，我們越是要對他們罷工。我們要到他們家裏，從他們的冰箱裏找出我們能吃的食物。”

While Francis decided not to strike, he and the other drivers say there could be more work stoppages in the coming year, particularly during elections, if politicians do not start heeding calls for help.

雖然法蘭西斯決定不參與這次罷工，他和其他司機們說，明年尤其是在選舉期間，如果政客們還不留意到他們需要幫助的呼求的話，可能會出現更多的罷工行動。