Lecturers to go on strike tomorrow

By KARANJA NJOROGE

Lecturers and non-teaching staff at public universities will go on strike starting tomorrow.

Speaking in a Nakuru following daylong deliberations, University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General Muga K’olale called upon all the lecturers and members of the non-teaching staff to lay down their tools from Thursday.

The move will paralyse operations the universities at a time when most students were preparing to sit for examinations.

The strike is aimed at forcing the Government to release Sh2 billion in arrears owed to them.

The money is part of Sh3.9 billion pay deal negotiated between the Government and the unions in 2008. In September last year, UASU called off a strike in the last minute after the Government released Sh1.9 billion.

"The Government promised to release the remaining Sh2 Billion in the supplementary budget this year but we are tired of waiting," said Charles Mukwaya the Secretary General of the University Non-Teaching Staff Union (UNTESU).

The union leaders who addressed a press conference included representatives of Untesu, Uasu and Kenyan Union of Domestic, Hotel, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha).

K’olale said that the strike will go on until the Government releases all their dues and restart stalled negotiations on a new Collective Bargaining Act (CBA).

"We have given the Government enough time and we are no calling upon all workers in the public universities to be ready for the strike," he added.

The unions said their workers would report to their workstation as usual but will not undertake any work.

"We do not understand why the Government has refused to honour their part of the deal yet the money was negotiated and agreed upon in the Industrial Court," Mukwaya added.

Asked about the timing of the strike, the union leaders said it is the best time to demand for their rights.

They said the strike would be peaceful and asked police to keep off.

"There will be no work taking place not even toilets or hospitals will be cleaned," said Mr Evans Otwar the first Deputy Secretary General of Kudheiha.