Business and Society. Business Ethics. Application of ethical theory Essay

Business and Society. Business Ethics. Application of ethical theory to a case study - Essay Example Moreover, the analysis will consider the ways in which this particular author might have handled the situation better as well as a final judgment over whether or not Tom ultimately did the ethical good or bad in the given situation. With regards to the stakeholders within this specific case that has been listed, there are three. Firstly, there is Tom, the graphic artist working on a tight deadline at the heart of the ethical conflict. Tom represents that only individual within the case, who is faced with an ethical dilemma. The second shareholder is that of Nina, the Internet blogger whose content was unwittingly downloaded and copied by Tom in an attempt to meet the deadline he had with the supermarket chain. Lastly, the supermarket chain itself represents the third and final shareholder within this particular ethical case. Naturally, with regards to this particular case, the key ethical consideration at hand is whether or not Tom has acted ethically with relation to borrowing Ninaà ¢â‚¬â„¢s content without permission and passing it off as his own in an effort to appease his distributor. The case is somewhat compounded and complicated by the fact that initially Tom wished to do the right thing and contacted Nina with regards to her permission to use aspects of her artwork in finalizing his own project. However, as the deadline loomed closer and closer and Tom did not have the wherewithal to finish the project under his own power, he was seemingly ‘forced’ to proceed on with Nina’s design without ever hearing back regarding her confirmation on his ability to borrow key aspects of her own ideas. The issue, therefore, extends well beyond legalities and whether or not Nina’s artwork exhibited on her blog was available to Tom under the fair use clause of the law; rather, ethically speaking, the question centres upon whether or not Tom had the ethical right to borrow Nina’s artwork without her confirmation, whether it was ethical of Tom to pass this artwork along unattributed, and the degree and extent to which he had a moral and ethical obligation to his employer to produce genuine and original work to fulfil the order (Cuilla 2011, p. 340). With regards to evaluating this case using two ethical theories that have thus far been discussed within the confines of this course, it is the belief of this student that the two ethical theories that best apply to the given case in point are those of the ethics of rights and postmodern ethics. With regards to the ethics of rights, one can see quite plainly and fairly readily that the ultimate issue at the heart of the matter is whether or not Tom has the right to the material that he has borrowed/stolen without the consent of the original artists. In this sense, the theory of rights denotes that the following questions must be answered if an ethical decision is to result: whose rights are at stake, what are the corresponding obligations, and how should these rights be ra nked? With regards to the first one, the right of Nina as well as the rights of the supermarket are at stake. The rights of Nina relate, of course, to her right as the original artist to be secure in the fact that no one else is duplicating or passing off their own work as hers.

Teams progress Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teams progress - Assignment Example †¢ What were the weaknesses of your team?†¢ What were the weaknesses of your team?Lack of experience on such team managed projects was a major weakness. Although Work load was equally divided by the leader division of work was such that one member assigned to do research work was not responsible for writing task. Therefore, writing standard lacked coherence of thought. Long-term goals got forgotten to attain short term targets. Due to given time limit, team leader could not justify with the given task. †¢ What do you like best about the team experience?  The best thing about the team experience was developing an understanding of what other members thought about how to work collaboratively, innovatively and at the same time respecting each other views by listening with patience. The feeling of team-spirit was so intense that no member felt bad when his research material was found irrelevant and discarded from the final output. †¢ What do you like least about your team experience?  Online participation through the electronic media via computers was the least satisfactory strategy in comparison to offline participation at the campus library and other designated places. It did not help in resolving the issues faced by members as the target was only on providing an update on current status. Members had to wait until the next face-to-face meeting to resolve issues, which caused a delay in timely submission. My experiences of the joint project have enlightened me on how to bring performance and excellence in the final output by changing my behavior and attitude.  

Protein Purification Methods And Structure Functions Biology Essay

Protein Purification Methods And Structure Functions Biology Essay Protein purification is the method by which particular protein of interest is being separated from a complex mixture. This is a very important process in order to understand the structure, function and interactions of particular protein. First of all separation of protein from the matrix containing it and then its separation from non protein parts and finally separating desired protein from other proteins. There are three general analytical purification methods on the basis of protein properties. Firstly on the basis of isoelectric point, then size or molecular mass and lastly on the basis of hydrophobicity or polarity. Purification of protein is generally dependent upon its properties which are determined by its amino acid sequence. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protein_purification). Molecular parameters of human TNF alpha such as molecular weight and isoelectric point was studied by using the postparam program of ExPASY web tool. The molecular weight was found to be 58675.5 and th eoretical pI was 5.06. Purification The recombinant human TNF alpha is synthesized by the transformed K. lactis and was secreted out into the nitrogen free minimal medium because of ÃŽÂ ±-MF signal sequence present in the expression vector pkLAC2. Purification of human TNF alpha was done in few steps procedure. The first step in the purification of particular protein is its recovery from the medium and in this case TNF alpha is released outside of the cell in extra cellular medium. This is done by the help of centrifugation at 5000 rpm for 20 minutes to separate cells and the culture media. The desired protein is present in the supernatant from where it is collected and subjected to further purification. Affinity Chromatography The human TNF alpha protein has been tagged with the hemagglutinin (HA) peptide. In order to purify the protein, Pierce HA Tag IP/Co-IP Kit (Thermo Fisher Scientific, 2010) was used that provide affinity resin and other reagent to perform immunoprecipitation or co-immunoprecipitation reactions by using HA tagged protein as bait. This kit contains the prepared agarose affinity resin, buffers, microcentrifuge spin columns, a positive control and easy-to-follow instructions. Highly specific anti- HA anitibody is covalently immobilized on the beaded agarose in the kit. There is precipitation of HA tagged protein on the agarose after incubation. This specific interaction complex is being easily eluted from the resis by using simple washing steps and then is supplied with SDS-PAGE sample loading buffer for further analysis. SDS-PAGE After isolating and extraction of the desired protein, its purity is checked by using a technique known as SDS-PAGE (Sodium dodycyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel). SDS-PAGE is a technique used for the characterization and separation of peptides and proteins in a complex mixture. The characterization of SDS-PAGE depends upon the molecular weight of a particular protein and its electrophoretic mobility. The structure of protein also effects its migration of protein through the gel. Sodium dodycyl sulphate (SDS) is anionic surfactant produce a negative charge coat on the proteins. These charged particles move towards their opposite charge electrode under the influence of electric fluid during electrophoresis. The electrophoresis of the protein through the gel is majorly affected by the ionic composition, pH and temperature of electrophoretic medium. In electrophretic migration, the pour size of the gel is also one of the major factors that affect electrophoresis. (Creighton, 1998) After loading the sample, the gel was run at constant current for 2-3 hours. Uniform bands were observed on the gel indicating the purity of protein. Mass spectrometry Mass spectrometry is a technique which can be used to determine the purity of protein. As molecular weight of a protein is an important characteristic, that can indicate its purity. Mass spectrometer is a technique that detects mass to charge ratio of ions. The procedure involved is first loading of the sample for ionization in mass spectrometer. The molecules can be manipulated easily when they are ionized. These ionized molecules are separated on the basis of their mass to charge ratio in analyzer region. Afterwards, these separated ions are detected analyzed by the detector. Mass spectrometer works in a high vacuum, so that the traveling of the ions is not hindered by the air molecule during their passage from one end to the other. The mass obtain in the result is analyzed and compared with the known mass of TNF-alpha. In case of similarity in the masses, it is confirmed that the protein is completely pure. Any dissimilarity indicates that the protein is not completely purified. (Creighton, 1998) Biological Activity of TNF-alpha The biological activity of TNF-alpha can be determined by Human TNF-alpha Elisa kit (Signosis, Inc 2010). The principle of this assay is based upon solid phase ELISA. The mouse anti human TNF-alpha antibody is used in this assay for immobilization of TNF-alpha protein. For detection purpose, goat anti human TNF-alpha antibodies, which are conjugated to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) with streptavidin are used. The two antibodies and the sample are incubated for allowing the reaction to take place. It leads to a sandwich formation of TNF-alpha protein in between the two antibodies. The wells are then washed after incubation, so that the unbound enzyme-linked antibodies are removed. Tetramethylbenzidin (TMB) is added in the well which is a HRP substrate. It develops a blue color while reacting with streptravidin-HRP conjugate. A stop solution is then added which changes the blue color into yellow. It is then analyzed spectrophotometrically. Absorbance is measured at 450 nm. (Signosis, In c 2010) Component of Human TNF-alpha Elisa Kit Mouse anti-human TNF-alpha antibody coated 96 well microplate. Goat anti-human TNF-alpha antibodies, biotin labeled. Streptravidin-HRP conjugate. Substrate. Standard recombinant TNF-alpha (290ng/ml) Assay wash buffer. Blocking buffer. Stop solution.

Hard Times †Charles Dickens Essay -- English Literature

Hard Times – Charles Dickens ‘Discuss the theme of education in Hard Times’ Charles Dickens was a great author of the 19th Century and his books are recognised and loved nation wide. Many people understand the meaning to his books, as they are not just plain fiction. In the novel Hard Times Dickens intensely criticises the British system of education and how it has evolved over the years: the 19th Century philosophy of ‘Utilitarianism’. Dickens believed this system was a failure, as it changed children’s minds and morals, and it is this novel that he attempts to show the horrors that this system has created. A principle was formed by Jeremy Bentham, the eighteenth century philosopher, calculating ‘the greatest good for the greatest number’. This theory explained that self-interest was the primary motivating force behind all human conduct; people strived for pleasure and tried in vain to avoid pain. Bentham advocated a system of calculation known as ‘moral arithmetic’. This was used whenever a decision had to be made about a particular choice of action, be it an individual deed or a law affecting million. The equation was a simple one: pleasure vs. pain. If all the factors fell in the direction of pleasure for the greatest number then the appropriate course of action was adopted. However, it failed to take account of the happiness and well-being of those who did not belong to the greatest number. It also presumed that every human being on earth prized nothing but material values. The catastrophes that this pathetic philosophy caused are explored and criticised by Dickens in the novel Hard Times. The philosophy also emphasised the practical usefulness of things. This meant that art, imagination, pl... ...ildren’s education. The grim pursuit of facts is contrasted with the colourful and rich life of the imagination as experienced by the circus folk. When one of them is subjected to the rigours of Gradgrind’s educational philosophy her human nature naturally rejects the attacks made on it: Sissy Jupe leans nothing from the artificially imposed educative processes familiar in the Gradgrind household. Nut, as we see later in the novel, her own essential goodness is instrumental in educating those suffering from the inadequacies of the Gradgrind philosophy. The children are denied the natural pursuits of childhood such as play, fantasy, fun and entertainment. They are ‘dead’ as children and are forced, by Gradgrind’s system, to become unnatural children. They are therefore without essential qualities needed in adulthood and as of this they become in humane.

Kelly Case Study Essay

1. According to Kelly, the most superordinate construct within Philip’s construct of clergy would most likely be that clergy members are direct representatives of God and that they carry out his will. Subordinate to this is the daily duties and sacrifices that clergy members must undertake, such as a vow of chastity and the spiritual guidance they must give to parishioners. Further subordinate to this construct is Philip’s perception that differences in views exist amongst clergy members, such as those who advocate reform within the church versus those who are more orthodox. 2. The two most evident and contrasting poles of Philip’s clergy construct could be the fact that Philip sees the church as a guiding, divine and spiritual entity, versus his view that it can also be restrictive and somewhat forbidding. This would apply to the dichotomy corollary, as it postulates that people use dichotomous poles of a construct to view the same thought in opposing (according to the person’s own personal viewpoint) ways. 3. Philip’s clergy construct is the same as that of others in the sense that both he and other clergy members feel the weight of their responsibilities and obligations to their followers. They can consequently talk with each other about these issues due to the common experiences shared by the clergy members, and therefore this applies to the commonality corollary. 4. Philip’s clergy construct is different from that of others in the sense that he disagrees with the views of members of the clergy who wish to reform certain practices of the church. Philip believes that the traditional methodologies of the church should continue to be followed, and he sees it as somewhat irrational and unbecoming that reformers would revoke what they were taught and swore to carry out. These differences in construction of events and beliefs would most closely apply to the individuality corollary. 5. According to Kelly, Philip’s clergy construct would most likely be considered fairly impermeable, due to his resistance to changes within the framework of how he envisions the church. This could be more commonly characterised as close-minded or perhaps â€Å"traditional†, as Philip’s construct of the church does not permit a wide range of convenience and is therefore resistant to including new elements (in this case, reform of  church practices). 6. The sociality corollary states that people, when playing a â€Å"role† in social situations, act in accordance with the expectations of others, and that the understanding of another person’s outlook and expectations is known as a â€Å"role construct†. An example of this in the case study could be the fact that Philip is aware when speaking to certain members of the public that he evokes a change in their behaviour due to his position as a priest. They make sure not to seem offensive or blasphemous in any way, and Philip is aware that they are acting differently than they normally would. In this case, the people altering their behaviour in Philip’s presence would be considered the role players, as they have a role construct about Philip due to his priesthood – likely that he is very couth and averse to any kind of potentially offensive or vulgar behaviour – and consequently adjust their mannerisms accordingly.

Casualization and Its Effects in Kenya

Impact of Labor Laws in Mitigating Effects of casualisation in Kenya Humphrey Mwangi  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HD333-BOI-1413/2009 Franklin Mutwiri  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HD333-BOI-1604/2009 Patrick Mutai  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HD333-BOI-0087/2009 John Warihe  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HD333-BOI-1268/2009 Susan Awuor  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HD333-BOI-1222/2009 Mary Mumira  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HD333-BOI-1246/2009 James Otunga  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HD333-BOI-1421/2009 Kevin Kariuki  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   HD333-BOI-1249/2009 Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology CBD Campus Presented to E. O. Achoch Abstract This study explores and examines the actual impact of labor legislation in mitigating the disturbing issue of casualisation of work in Kenya. The increase in casualisation in the country is a subject of great controversy. Increasingly casual employees are filling positions that are permanent in nature. Behind employee vulnerability in the country is the high levels of unemployment and accompanying poverty. Poverty has bred a dangerous work environment where many desperate job seekers in the labor force are willing to take any job for survival purposes rather than dignity. This is a big challenge for trade unions in their pursuit to protect and advance workers’ rights and foster decent work conditions. The study attempts to cover the following as per the terms of reference: What exactly is casualisation of work, How wide spread is it in Kenya, What difference has new provision in labor legislation made on casuals according to gender, occupation, status etc, How Labor Laws Have Affected Aspects Of Casual Workers rights, do labor laws affect the family of casual workers communities and local stakeholders such as trade union and NGO’s and what are the views of employers’ in terms of impact of labor laws and casualisation of work and their sustainability. Keywords: Federation of Kenyan Employers, Standard Employment Regulation Impact of Labor Laws in Mitigating Effects of casualisation in Kenya Collins Dictionary defines casualisation as altering of working practices so that regular workers are re-employed on a casual or short-term basis. Casual employment is also referred in some literatures as â€Å"precariousness† a familiar term in employment (Burgess and Campbell 1998; Weller and Webber 2001; Hunter 2006). Precariousness is seen in terms of bundles of job characteristics to do with insecurity and poor quality of life. It is characterized with lack of regulatory protection and working time insecurity Casualisation of a workforce is therefore reduction in full or part time employees and their replacement with employees who are called in on an as-needed or casual basis. This can reduce the employees working conditions by reducing the commitment from the employer to them, and giving the employer opportunities to control them by reducing their hours. Casual workers can be more difficult for employers to manage as they have no guarantee of finding available employees at any time, but they have the advantage of only employing people when they have the work for them An elastic approach to casualisation refer to non-standard and non-permanent employment relationships such as temporary work, fixed term contracts, seasonal work and subcontracting or outsourcing. It is also important to make a further distinction between casuals that are employed directly by the company or those that are supplied through outsourcing and subcontracting arrangements. Typically support services such as cleaning and catering and in some cases transportation and distribution and security are subcontracted. According to Okougbo (2004) casualisation of work is characterized by demand for employment which is highly variable such as port work, farm work, farm migratory work and other jobs of unskilled intermittent nature. He further states that contract labor is a form of involuntary servitude for a period of time. Labor and service contracts are terms used by management to describe contract labor. Management sometimes refers to it as â€Å"body shop† or â€Å"direct hire† while other refer to contract labor as service providers. Neo-liberal market restructuring globally and in the region is the driving force behind the sharp increase in casualisation. Neo-liberalism seeks to deregulate markets including the labor market to increase labor flexibility. In short, employers want the freedom to pay low wage, change the number of workers and how and when work is conducted thus this is casualisation. According to the employment act (2007) If an employee works for a period or a number of continuous working days which amount in the aggregate to the equivalent of not less than one month, or performs work which can not reasonably be expected to be completed within a period, or a number of working days amounting in the aggregate to the equivalent of three months or more, then the contract of service of the casual employee shall be deemed to be one where wages are paid monthly and section 35 (1) (c) shall apply to that contract of service. Labor Relations Act which prescribes that casual worker should be employed permanently after three months of continuous work besides which employees are supposed to be provided with medical and housing benefits. The Act also stipulate that an employee whose contract of service has been converted in accordance with subsection (1) (Employment Act, 2007) and who works continuously for two months or more from the date of employment as a casual employee shall be entitled to such terms and conditions of service as he / she would have been entitled to under this Act (Employment Act, 2007) had he not initially been employed as a casual employee. These include:- †¢ Notice. Where the contract is to pay wages or salary periodically at intervals of or exceeding one month, a contract is terminable by either party at the end of the period of twenty-eight days next following the giving of notice in writing †¢ Working hours. An employer shall regulate the working hours of each employee in accordance with the provisions of this Act and any other written law. Rest period. According to the employment Act subsection (1), an employee shall be entitled to at least one rest day in every period of seven days. Annual leave. After every twelve consecutive months of service with his employer to not less than twenty-one working days of leave with full pay †¢ Maternity leave. A female employee shall be entitled to three months maternity leave with full pay. The female employee shall have the right to return to the job which she held immediately prior to her maternity leave or to a reasonably suitable job on terms and conditions no t less favorable than those which would have applied had she not been on maternity leave. A male employer shall be entitled to two weeks paternity leave with full pay. †¢ Sick leave. After two consecutive months of service with his employer, an employee shall be entitled to sick leave of not less than seven days with full pay and thereafter to sick leave of seven days with half pay. †¢ Medical attention. Subject to subsection (2), an employer shall ensure the provision sufficient and of proper medicine for his employees during illness and if possible, medical attendance during serious illness. †¢ Service pay. The casual shall be entitled to service pay for every year worked, the terms of which shall be fixed. The wage bill in the private sector, a key driver of household consumption, is increasingly dipping as most employers opt for casual workers to cushion themselves against a harsh business environment. Despite stiff regulations introduced last year to protect casual workers from exploitation, thus making hiring of such employees expensive, Government statistics (GOK, 2006) show that casual employment grew by 13 per cent last year compared to a five per cent growth in 2007. Comparatively, the levels of regular employment dipped 2. 9 per cent in 2008, reflecting employers' preference of hiring casuals during the period, says the 2009 Economic Survey (GOK 2009). Casual workers accounted for 32 per cent of total wage employment. As a result of this preference, the private sector wage bill grew by a measly 10 per cent, compared to a 14. 6 per cent rise in 2007. This is attributed to increased use of casual laborers whose pay is usually lower than that of regular employees. The economy is also gradually sliding into a largely casual employment which could have dire implications in the already turbulent labor market,. This would reduce domestic consumption as households will have less to spend, thus reducing demand in the productive sectors and hampering poverty eradication. The Enactment of the Employment Act by Kenyan parliament roots for better protection of casual laborers by making it mandatory for employers to remit statutory deductions to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF). Previously, casual and contract workers – who constitute the majority of Kenyan workforce and include house-helps, watchmen, matatu touts and building and construction workers did not qualify for most of the benefits that are available to permanent employees. There is also a bigger risk of lay -offs for casual workers to escape the statutory contributions. The greatest impact that the new laws have had in the labor market is to push employers towards outsourcing the services of workers they would ordinarily employ as casuals to cut costs. This had negatively affected the job market in that companies cannot absorb more jobs and worse still, they have to cut their marketing and advertising budgets to cope. Casual employment remains the cheapest way of engaging workers, especially so at these hard economic times when employers focus is on taming labor costs. But the flipside is that we might end up with lower revenues from income tax if the labor market was to be largely made up of casuals. The purchasing power for families will also reduce drastically. Hired on short-term contracts, casual workers strive to fulfill production quotas for long working hours under poor working conditions and low wages, often without maternity or sick leave, housing and medical allowances. Most of them are denied right to join trade unions and basic services like water while some are victims of reported sexual harassment at the work place. They face stiff penalties for mistakes, work while sitting or standing for between eight and twelve hours daily, with only a forty five minute break in between, in order to beat the quota set by supervisors Kugler et al (2003). Their daily pay is between Sh120 and Sh160 but a percentage is deducted ostensibly for social security or hospital insurance contributions, which rarely benefit them (GOK, 2003). Casual labor market is perpetuated by lack of any permanent, on-going attachment between employer and worker (Ralph C. 1960). Where this condition exists and where entry of worker is easy due to low skill requirements and the absence of institutional barriers, the labor market is likely to accumulate a chronic surplus of supply. The resultant highly competitive market is conducive to corrupt hiring practice and a wide variety of other social evils. Casual workers provide cover at short notice for the absence of permanent staff. Some may belong to an area â€Å"pool† of relief workers who are contracted when work becomes available. The key characteristics of a casual worker are; †¢ They are offered work for a specific day or session only †¢ They have no right to be offered work beyond that day or session There is no regularity of work. It is characterized with lack of regulatory protection and working-time insecurity (Tham, 2007). In contrast to standard employment, there’s little right to protection against unfair dismissal and no right to notice in case of dismissal (O’Donnell, 2004). As a result casual tends to have even less employment security than fixed term employees since they can be dismissed with ease at almost any time. This greatly affects their financial proposition as they are not sure of their fate-they literally live a day at a time. Most dramatically, casual employment is exempted from almost all rights and benefits that have come to be attached to â€Å"permanent† contracts. These include such basic entitlements as annual leave, sick leave and payment for public holidays (Watson et al, 2003). The main attribute is a simple entitlement to wage enhanced in some cases by so called casual loading on the hourly rate of pay. Precariousness has several dimensions but ultimately two of which impact greatly on casual labor rights. These include; †¢ Lack of regulatory protection Working-time insecurity Other critical dimensions may include low and irregular earnings and employment insecurity which statues are overwhelmingly silent on. Statutory regulations has played only a limited role in establishing a standard employment regulation (SER) through the provision of dynamic standards to support a platform of â€Å"decent† work (Cooney et al, 2006). However, it is a complicated and layered system leaving sizeable gaps as a result of poor coverage, poor enforcement and exemptions. The award system provides a large array of rights and entitlements for employees but these are generally confined to full time permanent (standard) employees (Campbell, 2004). These clauses permit casual employment under certain limitations and then specify that casual workers are exempted from most rights entitlements starting with employment protections such as rights to notice and compensation for dismissal. This lack of regulatory protection is not confined to non-standard work. It can also apply to parts of standard workforce where gaps in protection have been eroded. Standardized working time arrangements are central to SER. Deviations from the norms centered on working hours involves; †¢ irregular work hour both in number and timing †¢ overly short †¢ overly long These represent a much change in present period, drains employees, control over work and sponsoring increased working-time insecurity. Another central feature of casual employment is the ability of employers to determine the number and timing of hours and to alter these at short notice. Casuals appears here as easily available, easily deployed in workplace and then easily disposable (Walsh et al, 1999). Negotiation of working hours is commonly a rather fraught process in which workers are often reluctant to refuse shifts-even at short notice and even at inconvenient times-for fear of jeopardizing future offers (Pocock et al, 2004). According to Barone (2001) there do exists various institutional arrangements that can provide employment protection; the private market, labor legislation, collective bargaining arrangements and contractual provisions. Some forms of de facto regulations are also likely to be adopted even in the absence of legislation simply because both workers and firms can derive advantages from long-term employment relations (OECD,1999). This is invariably averse to employment protection legislation which has of recent days been seen to shut its doors on plight of casuals (Kugler et al,2003). Employer’s opinion on casualisation can also be deduced from Federation of Kenyan Employers which is a registered umbrella body of employers in Kenya. FKE has duties such as; to encourage the principle of sound industrial relations and observance of fair labor practices as well as to promote sound management practices amongst employers through training, research and consultancy services and adoption of best practices. FKE was established in January 1969 in response to the activities of the then-Kenya Federation of Labor, which had unified the trade union movement into a single entity. The employers felt they needed an organization that could represent them on major social and economic issues. Since then, the Federation has gained considerable strength and power. It started as a body with only 161 employers; today it represents about 3,000. On the thorny issue of casual labor, the group has few real answers. Since a large number of Kenya's industries are seasonal in nature, like agriculture, hotels, restaurants, plantations and other related businesses, it is very difficult to eliminate casual labor entirely. According to the employment act (2007) cap 35 (a) casual staff can be employed by a company if the contract will not exceed the three month agreement for casual staffing stipulated by the labor law. If there is to be a continuation of the person in the position beyond the three month agreement, the employer is expected to give a contract letter to the individual stipulating the terms of employment. Accordingly FKE (2007) casualisation is rife in the country; but most of the companies perpetuating the offence are not mainly its members, so this has limited what the organization can do about it. However, many employers argue that due to economic hardship not only witnessed in Kenya but globally, they are forced to employ their workers as casuals because they will not afford to sustain them  in the long run. Many companies usually have periods of booming and recessions in there businesses and such will determine employment of staff. Some industrial companies employ workers as casual for two months then they relieve them of their duties and hire new staffs. The treatment of â€Å"casuals,† says COTU Secretary-General, Francis Atwoli (2009), â€Å"has haunted the trade union movement for many years and is a throwback to the colonial era when workers were classified as casual people†. Atwoli believes the Kenyan labor movement could be strengthened if the casuals were allowed to unionize. To this end, COTU is now negotiating with the government to organize casual workers regardless of their salaries. COTU also wants all casual workers to become eligible for the benefits that permanent workers get: worker's compensation, housing and pensions. The COTU secretary-general recently flayed FKE for advocating that the government should institute more controls on wages. Atwoli sees such a move as an obstacle to expansion in industry. He argues that if workers are poorly paid, their purchasing power will remain low and they will not be able to afford manufactured goods. This will keep manufacturers from expanding and new jobs will remain an unfulfilled goal. Observers in business circles think investors view low wages with mixed emotions: while some foreign investors look at low wages as a sure means of maximizing profits, others see them as a sure way of reducing purchasing power in the market which could subsequently mean low sales. On the other hand, government economists argue that it is better to maintain low wages that the national economy can support rather than high wages that will lead to high inflation. FKE argues that â€Å"In raising minimum wages they are guided by certain factors like the ability of the economy,†Ã‚   To sustain any level of minimum wages, FKE says, other factors come into play like the level of unemployment in the country as well as the ability of the small employers to pay. FKE believes that COTU has to be realistic in its approach to the whole issue but FKE is studying COTU's demands. However, it should be noted all players i. e. the government, FKE and COTU concurs that unionizing casuals may be essential to safeguard the gains of all Kenyan workers. Low wages and limited benefits make casuals an attractive proposition for companies trying to cut costs. Discussion The exploding population will only exacerbate the situation as more and more workers enter a work market incapable of keeping pace with this growth. As the population growth continues to outpace the growth of jobs, employers will have increasing leverage to demand concessions from both workers and their unions. Kenya's labor movement must somehow address these issues if it is to continue to make progress on worker's rights. References Campell, 1 (2004) ‘Casual work and casaulisation: how does Australia Compare’? 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