- The union chairperson Grace Nyongesa and secretary general Constantine Wasonga threatened to call for a general strike of all universities.
- They accused the government of neglecting institutions of higher learning.
Image: BY MATHEWS NDANYI
Uasu national officials on Thursday joined Moi University lecturers during demonstrations in Eldoret town to push for their demands.
The lecturers are demanding payment of delayed salaries and implementation of their 2017-2021 CBA agreement.
The union chairperson Grace Nyongesa and secretary general Constantine Wasonga threatened to call for a general strike of all universities.
They accused the government of neglecting institutions of higher learning.
“We have said enough is enough and directed our staff at Moi University not to report back to wok until all their grievances are addressed by the management,” Wasonga said.
He wondered why the government had insisted the new universities funding model was working well yet the lecturers and other staff had not been paid for long.
“In any case we wonder why lecturers should be told to wait for fees payments to earn salaries yet we have never heard Judiciary officers being told to wait for court fines to be paid,” Wasonga said.
The more than 1,000 dons at the institution have been on strike since Monday to push for payment of their salaries for July and August along with full CBA implementation.
Uasu branch officials led by chairman Richard Okero and secretary Ojuki Nyabuta said the university had failed to remit more than Sh4.2 billion deducted from the workers for their pension scheme.
“Let them know that we will not return to work until all the grievances we have raised are addressed. We will have to get all that we want before we sign any return to work formula,” Nyabuta said.
Wasonga said the university council chairman Dr Humphrey Njoroge had written to him promising that the lecturers would be paid what they are demanding.
“I have asked Dr Njoroge to stop writing such letters if he knows they are not ready to do as we want,” Wasonga said.
Dr Njoroge had last week met the Uasu officials over the stalemate at the university but no tangible resolution was reached.
“We met with Uasu officials and agreed on the way forward. We are facing challenges just like other universities but we are committed to resolving all the issues with our lecturers,” said Dr Njoroge who spoke to the Star on phone.
The dons have vowed to carry out more protests in Eldoret to push for their demands.