University workers threaten to down tools again over pay

Kenya University Staff Union Secretary General Mr Charles Mukhwaya (center) with KUSU governing council members addressing journalists in Nakuru. (Photo: Suleiman Mbatiah/Standard).

The country is staring at another crisis after university lecturers threatened to go on strike if a Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA) reached between them and the Government in May is not implemented.

Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) Saturday gave the Government a 48-hour notice to pay them their dues failure to which they would down their tools.

Speaking in Nakuru Saturday, Kusu Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya said the Government has up to today to do its part. Dr Mukhwaya said Kusu National Governing Council had agreed with Kenya Union of Domestic Workers, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha) and University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) that they give the Government two days (Saturday and Sunday) to disburse the Sh10 billion reportedly set aside to settle their dues.

“We downed our tools and signed a CBA after the Government told us that Sh10 billion had been set aside to settle our dues. The Government had promised to disburse the money by end of June which up to now has not happened. That money has not been paid,” said Mukhwaya.

The official said no single cent had been deposited into their accounts despite the government having had enough time to implement the agreement.

They term the failure to pay them a blatant violation of mutually agreed negotiations.

The Government, Mukhwaya said, should have acted responsibly, adding that in the agreement, it had agreed to pay all lecturers in public universities.

“We obey the law and that is why we accepted to stop our strike. We accepted and reached an agreement in May 2017. We signed an agreement that all workers in universities will be paid their dues by June 30. The Government has disowned the deal and we will go on strike until the CBA is honoured,” said the Secretary General.

During the briefing Saturday, Mukhwaya said they will not hold further negotiations.

“Negotiations ended on May 7 and an agreement signed on May 9, 2017. In our agreement, we did not agree anywhere that there will be further negotiations. It’s them to pay now,” added Mukhwaya.

The union called on its members to gather at their respective meeting joints on Monday by 8am and withdraw their services if they will not have received money.

“Members, if by Monday money will not have been received, gather in your respective meeting joins and withdraw labour, if that is the language the government understands,” he said.

They told the government that as lecturers, they had powers to influence the electorate because students will be directly affected by the planned strike.