Varsity staff to strike in 10 days’ time

By Michael WesongA

Kenya: Public university unions have advised their members to commence industrial action from May 30 over Sh3.76 billion allegedly misappropriated by vice chancellors.

The national officials of the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) told their more than 25,000 members to proceed with the strike without further reference to the Government in case it fails to honour a return-to-work formula.

Speaking in Eldoret, Kusu Secretary General Charles Mukwaya vowed to stage a massive and protracted withdrawal of services.

Adequate time

“What is coming out clearly are innuendos to the effect that the chancellors are now speaking with impunity that they will not pay for lack of funds,” he said.

He insisted that the argument was inexcusable given they had granted the vice chancellors adequate time to make up for the members’ salary raise, house allowances and arrears they had duly negotiated for.

“We are telling our members to go out and seek their money to the last penny without further reference to the Government or universities if they would not have been fully paid by 30th of this month,” he advised.

Article 5 of the agreement between Kusu, Uasu, Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers and the Inter Public Universities Councils’ Consultative Forum  demands the payment be effected not later than May 30 this year. “Payment to eligible members of staff in JG 1-15 shall be effected in full on a date not later than May 30 2014,” states the agreement.

Article 6 of the agreement signed on March 12 stipulates that there shall be no victimisation of either party and no employee shall suffer loss of earnings over the period of work stoppage. Mukwaya accused the university vice chancellors of holding irregular meetings with the universities’ Senate teams which he said have no mandate in administrative, human resource and financial management.

Uasu National Secretary General Musalia Edebe said they were at pains explaining to members the delay in payment offered by the Government.

“We gave the VCs the benefit of doubt but now we are waiting for them to act in the spirit and commitment of this document,” he said.