- Moi University academic staff are demanding the withdrawal of a redundancy notice affecting 75 employees, including senior lecturers and professors.
- The lecturers question why the university is shedding permanent staff while advertising part-time teaching positions in affected departments.
- They warn that failure to resolve the dispute could trigger industrial action and a legal battle at the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
Academic staff at Moi University have threatened to down their tools following a redundancy notice affecting 75 employees, including senior lecturers and professors.
The staff, through the Moi University Academic Staff Union, have demanded that the notice be withdrawn, arguing that the planned layoffs are inconsistent with the university’s decision to advertise part-time teaching positions in some of the affected departments.
Speaking to the media on Monday, the union’s chapter secretary Robert Oduor questioned the basis of the redundancy plan, particularly at a time when some departments are already struggling with large classes.
“We register our strongest displeasure and total rejection of the decision by the university management,” Oduor said.
He said the union was concerned that the university appeared to be cutting permanent staff while seeking to hire part-time lecturers to undertake teaching duties.
Oduor also challenged the university to explain whether a financial audit had been conducted to establish the need for the proposed staff reductions.
“You fire and hire at the same time. How does this address the purported financial challenges the university allegedly faces?” he asked.
Union questions staffing strategy
The union further raised concerns over the workload carried by lecturers, with Oduor saying some members are handling classes with more than 1,000 students.
The staff have demanded that the advertisement seeking part-time lecturers in departments affected by the redundancy plan be withdrawn.
Oduor warned that failure to reverse the decision could result in the union taking industrial action.
“We demand the immediate withdrawal of the advert for part-time lecturers in the affected departments,” he said.
He added that the union could direct members to stop teaching and decline to undertake handovers, while also pursuing legal action before the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
The lecturers also questioned the university’s staffing strategy as other public universities prepare for an expected increase in enrolment following the transition to competency-based education.
One union member said the planned reduction in staff appeared out of step with preparations being made by other public universities to accommodate students entering higher education under the new system.
Lecturers dispute workforce figures
The union also disputed figures provided on the university’s current workforce, questioning how the institution could now indicate that it has about 750 employees after an earlier redundancy exercise.
“When they declared redundancy last time, we saw 560 members who had remained. 120 were declared redundant. 560 remained. Why are they talking about 750?” the member questioned.
The union said permanent and pensionable staff should not continue to bear the burden of the university’s financial difficulties, arguing that management should consider alternative measures to restore the institution’s financial position.
“We are saying enough is enough with this issue of redundancy. We cannot have the acting management sacking permanent and pensionable members,” the member said.
The lecturers maintained that both the redundancy notice and the advertisement for part-time positions in the affected departments should be withdrawn.
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They warned that failure to resolve the dispute could lead to the suspension of teaching and further legal action against the university.
By Jonathan Mwinzi
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