Trade Unions Congress of Kenya has thrown its weight behind the on-going public universities lecturers' strike over unpaid salary and house allowance awards.
TUC General Secretary Wilson Sossion urged the workers not to accept anything less than the signed Collective Bargaining Agreement.
"We urge our members to remain firm, stand solidly together and sustain this strike. They can only return to work when there is an agreeable Return To Work Formula based on total implementation of the CBA on the basis of Sh10 billion," said Sossion.
He added: "As long as the Government through the Education ministry and the university management are dragging their feet on this matter we shall stand behind our affiliates to remain #on strike for as long as possible."
Speaking during a press briefing in Nairobi yesterday, Sossion said it was unfortunate that the Government, which participated in the negotiation and signing of the CBA, was running away from it.
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The CBA signed and registered in March this year was to give 27,000 university staff registered with unions, Kenya Union of Domestic Hotels, Education Health Institutions and Allied workers, the Kenya University Staff Union and University Academic Staff Union, Sh10 billion which was factored in the current financial year.
The workers were to benefit from arrears that had accrued for the period covering July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2017.
Education Cabinet secretary Fred Matiang'i, however, reduced the amount to be paid in the current financial year to Sh4.8 billion with the remaining amount being factored in the next financial year, a move that has not been received well by the workers.
