Learning at Southern Eastern Kenya University (SEKU) was paralysed on Wednesday as Dons and staff under the Universities Academic Staff Unions (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) downed their tools over failure by government to implement the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) among other grievances.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) while announcing the start of their job boycott vowed not to return to work until their biting grievances are addressed.
The leaders of the two unions, SEKU branch Chairman of UASU Dr Michael Wahome and his branch secretary Mr Mboya Kivai bitterly expressed their frustrations over delays in negotiating their members’ 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) thus resulting to arrears from failure of the CBA by the administration.
Speaking after a three-hour protest at the vast higher learning institution’s (SEKU campus at Kwa Vonza in Kitui county) compound, the UASU and KUSU SEKU branch leaders further noted that other teething issues prompting the strike included non-remittance of statutory deduction for pension, Sacco shares and loans.
The striking SEKU University lecturers and staff also demanded for replacement of their current medical CIC cover which they termed as discriminatory and ineffective.
As SEKU University lecturers and staff starts the strike, they demanded implementation of comprehensive health insurance cover as well as payment of hardship allowance.
The Dons argued that they covered at least 80 kilometres daily travelling to and from the working place hence they deserved hardship allowances.
“We refuse to accept further delays in our compensation and we are ready for talks, but we will not return to work until a deal is reached on all the six grievances that we’ve highlighted,” said the two SEKU branches’ UASU and KUSU unions leaders.
Dr Wahome noted that other public service employees were recently awarded a seven to 10 per cent salary increment, but shockingly, lecturers and staff of public universities were discriminated and left out with zero pay-rise despite being public servants like the rest.
The leaders of two unions further warned that they would not accept the unpopular proposed new funding university model that proposes lecturers and staff be paid from fees collected from students in their respective universities.
“We can’t accept to be paid from fees paid by students. We are not casual laborers; we should continue to be paid our salaries from the exchequer. If Magistrates and Judges are not paid their salaries from daily fines collected by our law courts, why us then?” Mboya sadly noted.
The unions’ leaders unanimously called for swift amicable negotiations between the government and the leadership of both aggrieved unions (UASU and KUSU).
As the striking SEKU University lecturers and staff downed tools, learning across all the 35 public universities across the country came to a halt too on Wednesday as the two unions’ national leaders made true their loud threats to ask all their members to down tools.
The national officials of UASU and KUSU issued the seven days’ strike notice last week on 11th Wednesday during the strike launching forum convened by KUSU and UASU national officials at the Technical University of Kenya, Nairobi.
By Denson Mututo
