The University Academic Staff Union (UASU) has vowed to continue its ongoing nationwide strike in public universities, despite Vice Chancellors threatening to withhold salaries for October.
Speaking during a press briefing on Wednesday, October 1, UASU, together with their counterparts from the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), asserted that the strike would only end after payment of Ksh7.9 billion from the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The two unions cited a past court order from the Employment and Labour Relations Court directing the Ministry of Education to pay lecturers and university staff their dues.
Further, they claimed that Vice Chancellors had resorted to threats, intimidation, and rumour mongering to discredit the ongoing strike that has paralysed learning nationwide.
On Monday, September 29, the Vice Chancellors' Committee adopted resolutions addressing the ongoing strike, as it aimed to safeguard learning.
Key amongst the resolutions was that staff participating in the industrial action would not receive their pay for the period during which they had withdrawn their labour.
The resolution would be implemented through the respective university councils, with the committee noting that it would uphold discipline, ensure fairness to staff who had continued learning and deter the unlawful withdrawal of labour.
Another resolution was that the release of agency fees to the unions be suspended. Where necessary, collection of union dues from striking members may also be withheld, subject to applicable labour laws and existing court judgments.
To preserve order on campuses, the committee directed that “Notices to Show Cause” be issued to staff members found to be disrupting teaching, interfering with students, or hindering non-striking staff from discharging their duties.
The resolutions came even after the Employment and Labour Relations Court, on September 18, suspended the strike, ordering conciliatory talks between the government, affected unions and all stakeholders.
The day before the ruling, lecturers and staff from public universities such as the University of Nairobi (UoN), Dedan Kimathi University of Technology(DeKUT), University of Eldoret(UOE), Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) and other institutions across the country had proceeded on the nationwide strike.
In the images and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, the dons were seen marching as they waved banners and blew vuvuzelas.
While issuing a strike notice on Wednesday, September 10, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga faulted the government for failing to implement the 2021-2025 and 2025-2029 CBAs between the union and the government in full.
Wesonga expressed his frustration at the government’s continued delay in honouring the CBAs worth billions, despite multiple meetings and formal submissions.
He noted that the union had exhausted all available avenues for dialogue, accusing the Interpublic Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and the government of undermining the agreement following rigorous discussions.
The strike is now two weeks in, with the striking lecturers and staff showing no indication of backing down.
