Striking lecturers cripple learning at Moi University

Learning at all campuses of Moi University has been paralysed after more 900 lecturers went on strike demanding to be paid their two months’ salary arrears.

The members of the University Academic Staff Union (UASU) are also protesting over non-remittance of more than Sh4.1 billion deductions to third party.

Speaking during the launch of the strike at School of Medicine town campus, UASU chair Moi University chapter, Dr Richard Okero accused the university management of being insensitive to the plight of dons.

“All the 900-academic staff of Moi University have downed their tools and there will be no teaching and learning at the university until we are paid our salary arrears and remittance of monthly contributions worth Sh4.1 billion to third party,” said Dr Okero.

Dr Okero insisted learning at the university will only resume after all their grievances are addressed. 

“We are appealing to President William Ruto to come to Moi and have a roundtable meeting with all stakeholders in order to save this prestigious institution from collapsing,” said Dr Okero.

Dr Okero accused the institution for failing to implement their 2017 CBA agreement and delayed salaries among other grievances.

Read: Students reject Ruto's university funding plan 

Uasu branch secretary Ojuki Nyabuta said they have been forced to call for the strike after a consultative meeting attended by national officials which upheld the sanctity of the strike notice issued on Monday, August 19.

Mr Nyabuta said the strike shall only be called off after negotiating and signing the Return to Work Formula (RTWF).

“As an academic member of staff whose salary not only gets paid perennially late but has lately not been paid for two months now, we say no such continued mistreatment of our members,” said Mr Nyabuta.

Mr Nyabuta said there will be no learning at the university until the national office of UASU calls off the strike.

He regretted that despite efforts by the union to address the matter with the management, the university management ignored calls by branch officials to address their grievances.

“Since we have been pushed to the wall, learning activities at the university have been shut down until we will negotiate and sign a return to work formula by addressing issues of delayed salaries as well as implementing our CBA right away from 2017,” said Mr Nyabuta.

He insisted that the strike is protected by the law and warned university management against intimidating striking dons.

They regretted that despite the myriad of challenges facing the university, the management is busy admitting first years yet there are no proper facilities to accommodate the new students.

Read: ‘Why we will still struggle to afford university education under new funding model’

A week ago the Moi University Council and management met with UASU in a bid to resolve the salary crisis that had led to a go-slow by more than 3,000 employees.

Council chairman Dr 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.

“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.

Unfortunately the meeting did not achieve the intended objective.

Already Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) have petitioned President William Ruto to intervene and have their plight resolved.

The union has revealed that financial institutions had sued workers whose assets were now being auctioned because the university had failed to remit deductions for payment of loans.

Following increasing challenges at the university, the workers are now demanding that VC and the university council resign.

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