Learning at the financially troubled Egerton University will be paralysed from tomorrow when the Universities Academics Staff Union (Uasu) members begin their strike after the expiry of the seven-day notice.
Uasu Egerton Chapter held a Special General meeting on October 5 at Nakuru Athletics Club to chart the way forward regarding the more than 600 members' welfare and after a daylong deliberation, they issued a strike notice.
Uasu national office has endorsed the strike and blamed the university management and the council for turning a blind eye to the plight of its members despite the union raising the matter of the deteriorating welfare of the members.
In a letter addressed to the chairman of the University Council, Uasu said it had raised its concerns but the management failed to address their grievances.
"Our members shall withdraw their labour on October 17 after the expiry of the seven days' strike notice which was issued on October 11 until their pertinent concerns are addressed exhaustively," said Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga.
Dr Wasonga blamed the university management and the council saying, "your office has refused to address the issues raised by Uasu on several occasions through memos and other means of communication."
The union members want a raft of issues addressed including remittances of third-party deductions, especially to the banks, savings and credit cooperative societies, and insurance companies among others.
"Our members have been subjected to pecuniary embarrassment by banks which are recovering loans from members' salary accounts," said Dr Wasonga.
The official said that the Uasu members’ properties have been recovered by creditors while others have faced evictions by landlords.
The union is also accusing the university of withdrawing the unilateral and arbitral notice of variation of Employer Pension contribution.
Besides, the union members' structured procedure of Academic Staff Reviews and Promotions has been ignored while the reinstatement of annual salary increments for the Uasu members has been suspended.
Uasu and the Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) Egerton chapter have been holding joint picketing prayers at the Njoro campus for the better part of last week to push for their demands.
Kusu national Secretary-General Charles Mukhwaya said the union members were living in squalid conditions and their social lives have been disrupted due to non-payment of their arrears.
"The University Council must pay the members a 100 per cent salary, pay all the salary arrears, reinstate and respect our members’ negotiated terms and conditions of service, as per the Collective Bargaining Agreement," said the official.
However, the university management moved to court to stop the Kusu strike saying it is illegal. The matter will be determined by the court on October 27.
