Learning activities were paralysed on Wednesday as Machakos University workers and lecturers took to the streets in protest.
The protesters, members of the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) and the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), downed their tools as they joined their counterparts in the nationwide strike.
They vowed to continue with the strike until the government addresses their demands, threatening a complete disruption of learning activities at the institution.
“We are here to protest against the government for failing to negotiate and implement our 2021-25 Collective Bargaining Agreement. This is a CBA, which we handed its proposal in 2020 to the government and her representative—Salaries and Remuneration Commission,” UASU, Machakos chapter secretary general Dr Martin Kasina said in Machakos town on Wednesday.
Kasina said the government had been silent about the CBA until last year when they gave them a zero offer.
“It’s this year when they gave another counteroffer that addressed a small group of our staff, that’s only the professors. So, as a union, we said no. We need a CBA that cuts across all carders of staff,” Kasina said.
He said they were not happy since the government had increased salaries across other sectors apart from university workers.
“We are also protesting against CBA balances that were particularly implemented in 2017-21. It is partially paid, and as Machakos, we are owed by the government about Sh79 million. Therefore, we are saying, until these balances are cleared, we are downing tools as university workers,” Kasina said.
They termed the SRC as an enemy, accusing it of creating a significant salary disparity. They argue that while university CEOs’ salaries are at par with those of state officers, university workers are left earning meagre wages.
Kusu, Machakos Chapter, Secretary General Sylvanus Mukai criticised the government for not implementing the 2021-22 and 2017-21 CBAs.
Mukai described the government’s actions as a joke, asserting that they would only return to work once the said agreements were fully honoured.
Students who had reported to the university for their Studies camped outside the institution’s main entrance stranded while others left with their hopes for education dashed.
A Labour court on Wednesday issued temporary orders stopping nationwide lecturers and university workers' strike.
The court barred UASU from calling or inciting others to take part in any strike.
Employment and Labour Judge Justice Jacob Gakeri issued the order following an application filed by Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum of the Federation of Kenya Employers.
