Branches ready for work boycott

By STANDARD TEAM

Learning in all public universities will be paralysed Wednesday if lecturers and non-teaching staff make good their threat to down their tools over unpaid arrears.

 Over 23,000 staff from all public universities would be involved in the industrial action after talks between union official and the Government over Sh3.8 billion pay rise collapsed.

 Officials representing the workers turned down an offer of Sh2.2 billion that the ministry was offering, saying they wanted the full amount of Sh3.9 billion as per a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed by management of the 23 universities.

 “The Cabinet Secretary (Jacob Kaimenyi) offered us five per cent salary increment and another four per cent house allowance, which translated to Sh2.2 billion, but we rejected the offer,” said Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya

Dr Mukhwaya told The Standard yesterday that the offer was a violation of the CBA and that the CS’s proposal was what the vice chancellors had offered them before.

“It was nothing new to us because he (Kaimenyi) seems to be backing the VCs proposal, which our members had rejected,” he said.

Yesterday, union officials from most public universities confirmed that the strike would go on.

Releases the money

Representatives of Kusu and Uasu, Maseno University Chapter, confirmed that their members are ready for the industrial action and the strike will commence at 7.45am.

Kusu Maseno branch Chairman Martin Owidi said they would down tools until the university’s management releases the money.

 “We are demanding 33.1 per cent for salaries and 14.2 per cent house allowance to be paid in total. We will not accept anything less,’’ said Owidi, adding that they have put in place mechanisms to ensure their members comply with the resolutions.

Union officials in Mombasa were also talking tough and vowed to paralyse learning at Mombasa Technical University.

Mombasa Technical University Uasu Chapter Chairman Joseph Ngare said the vice chancellor had refused to honour the agreement that was signed in the year 2010 and 2013.

He also warned the other public universities in Mombasa to join the strike.

“We cannot abandon class and at the same allow other public universities to go on with teaching. We are going to close down all the public universities in Mombasa,’ he said.

The strike notice was issued two weeks ago by Uasu national leadership in various public Universities across the country.