Technical University of Kenya lecturers threaten to strike over salary delays

Normal operations at the Technical University of Kenya (TUK) are likely to be paralysed on Tuesday following a strike notice issued by staff members.

This, the staff said on Sunday, is after their attempts to reach out to their employer over delayed December 2024 salaries failed to yield fruits.

Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) TUK Chapter Secretary Fred Sawenja announced that UASU, Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) and KUDHEIHA union leaders had observed that the institution had contravened its employment contract with workers.

The leaders of the three unions stated that if their members do not receive December salaries by the end of Monday, they will not attend classes from Tuesday, hence affecting examinations expected to start during the week.

“We shall hold a major picket to deliver our petitions to the National Assembly, to the Ministry of Finance and National Treasury and the Ministry of Education on a Tuesday,” Mr Sawenja said.

The government has also been asked to step in before the university’s cash crunch gets out of hand.

“We are demanding that the government, through the Ministry of Education and the University Council pay TU-K Employees their December 2024 salaries immediately and address the other outstanding financial issues to avert the imminent shut down of the Technical University of Kenya,” said Sawenja.

“TUK is on its deathbed and the employees are not willing to be the ticks that when the institute dies we still hang on it as if we do not have a voice to voice our concerns.”

He said workers with bank loans were exposed to penalties because TUK had failed to remit their premiums for ten months.

“...It has led to members being listed to the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) and a number of our members have been threatened by auctioneers. They risk losing a number of their properties,” Mr Sawenja said.

Branch Secretary, KUSU-TU-K Branch Andrew Musungu said that lecturers should not be blamed if students fail to take their examinations.

“We did our bit, let them do their mandate. The government, ministry, council, and employer, it is their duty and responsibility to meet the needs of our bargain. We have done our part we are sorry because next week, if students do not take their exams, let nobody blame us,” Mr Musungu said.

KUSU Acting Chairperson Yucabed Gwaya said they had given the employer enough time to clear the arrears, but their demands had been ignored.

“Our staff to develop themselves, they have to take grants. We have staff who took loans years back but what has been happening in this university for the last ten years is that no loans have been remitted to any bank and some of the banks have prosecuted our members,” Ms Gwaya said.

According to her, the institution has rendered some of its staff to depression as they struggle to provide for their families and meet their financial needs despite being employees.

“The only option for staff members to take their children to school was through credit facility but no one can take that because they have been listed under CRB. We are sending a strong message to the employer and the government that TUK staff members have been resilient enough and that resilience should not be taken for granted.”

The issue of staff stagnation was also raised, with members saying that it had affected their performance for many years, despite them meeting the requirements.

“We are talking of up to 500 members of staff who have not been promoted…if you attain your PhD, you are supposed to be promoted to a lecturer position but instead you are rewarded with a one-year contract, ostensibly because there is no funding and that means you will not be eligible for gratuity, that is a huge injustice,” Mr Musungu added.

Leaders stated that about one billion shillings have accrued from 2010-2013 local CBA, and 2017-2021 national CBA, which must also be addressed by the institution.