- The go-slow has entered the second week as the workers now threaten to stage a full scale strike.
- Council chairman Dr Humphrey Njoroge said they had requested the meeting with Uasu to explain and consult over issues including salary delays.
Image: BY MAtHEWS NDANYI
Moi University workers have threatened to stage a full-blown strike after talks with the institution's management last week yielded no fruits.
The more than 3,000 workers have been staging a go-slow since last week to demand an end to frequent salary delays and other work-related frustrations.
The go-slow being led by the University Academic Staff Union, wants all delayed salaries paid in full before the employees can resume work.
The Moi University Council and management met with the lecturers' union but failed to resolve the salary crisis.
The go-slow has now entered the second week.
Council chairman Humphrey Njoroge said they had requested the meeting with Uasu to explain and consult over issues including salary delays and failure to implement the 2017-2022 CBA.
The meeting took place on Friday at the main campus but Uasu officials say their members will remain away from work until all their grievances are resolved.
“We called the meeting to consult with the union and we have agreed on the way forward on resolving the issues they have,” Njoroge said.
He told the Star on phone that they would implement all that was agreed on by the Uasu Moi University chapter officials.
However the union officials led by Nyabuta Oyuki, said they would remain on a go-slow until the university resolves all issues around their salaries.
“We will remain out of work and unless we get our salaries paid in full as per the 2017 CBA, we will not be back,” Oyuki said.
He confirmed that they met with the university council and management led by VC Prof Isaac Kosgey, but there was no commitment by the management on when the disputed issues would be implemented.
The employees are threatening to stage a full-blown strike if the university management led by Kosgey does not resolve their demands.
The workers led by Uasu officials and the Kenya Universities Staff Union have petitioned President William Ruto to intervene and have their plight resolved.
Kusu secretary Mary Chepkwemoi said their members had boycotted duty at the main campus and at the college of health sciences.
“We have not been paid July salaries and many on contracts have not been paid for eight month now,” Chepkwemoi said.
She said the university had failed to remit all salary deductions to pay loans and other financial obligations with bank institutions for the last seven years.
She said they had hoped that Ruto would save the university but it was getting worse.
The officials said the workers were in heavy debts and that some of them had died because of financial frustrations caused by the university.
Okero said one of the financial institutions had sued workers whose assets were now being auctioned because the university had failed to remit deductions for payment of loans.
The workers demanded that VC Kosgey and the university council resign because they had failed in managing the institution.
“We are asking Ruto to ensure we have new management at Moi University failure to which the institution will collapse,” Chepkwemoi said.
The workers on Tuesday held demonstrations at the main campus' medical school in Eldoret to protest salary delays.
But Njoroge insisted they had no serious issues with employees most of whom he claimed were on duty.
He admitted that the university like others in the country, were still facing financial challenges leading to salary delays and other issues.