Challenges Faced by Large Chinese Firms in Adapting Total Kenya Labor Laws

Abstract

Nowadays, most organizations area investing in foreign countries as they look to expand their business opportunities as well as exploiting the opportunities available in the market. As they invest in these foreign countries they face myriad challenges in their operations. One of the main challenges that they face is compliance to labour law set by the hosting country. Most of the firms from Chinese are investing in foreign countries and they also experience this challenge. To safeguard the employees against exploitation by the employers Kenya government has enacted labour law that every employer should adhere to it regardless of the status of the firm whether local or international. Thus the current study aimed to investigate challenges faced by large Chinese firms in adapting to Kenya labor laws. This study adopted descriptive research design. The target population of the study was 73 large Chinese firms operating within Nairobi County. Primary data was collected using questionnaires from the HR managers from large Chinese firms. The data collected was coded and entered in the SPSS. The findings of the study were presented using frequency tables and figures while interpretation was done in prose form. The study found that some of the challenges faced in adopting Kenya employment Act 2007 were compliance to employment contract, getting right skilled staff and dismissal of employee since the act has bureaucratic policies that protects the employee. Most of the employees opts to settle their grievances through industrial court which always see foreign firms/investor as an agent that aims to exploit local human capital thus making enforcement of labour law complicated to this firms. To the occupational safety, the study found that most of the government officials seek for bribes when an issue is brought to them from foreign firms which pose a challenge to adopting labour law. Labour law guarantees the worker against financial consequences a challenge to large Chinese firm and that protection against dismissal a challenge in large Chinese firm. The study recommends that employer should ensure that all set rules and policies within the labour law are adhered and that and take up employment in accordance with the contracts, national laws and administrative actions. Employer should allow employees to enjoy freedom of association and be part of trade unions which gives na opportunity to the staff to spearhead collective bargaining for better working conditions as stipulated by the labour laws.