Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) UASU and KUSU chapters have downed their tools in solidarity with other university staff countrywide over failed 2021/2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement(CBA) negotiations with the government.
Led by UASU and KUSU officials, lecturers and workers paralyzed learning at the institution as they criticized the government for failing to take the CBA negotiations seriously and instead resorting to making false promises.
UASU Chairperson Dr. Asita Amollo disclosed that although the CBA proposals were made in 2020, no progress has been made with slightly more than a year left in the agreement.
He said that the strike is not only about remuneration of the university workers but also about the flawed university funding model adding that operations and learning activities at the university will only resume when the government signs a CBA with university workers.
“Our lecture halls are packed to capacity with students ready to learn but the universities are poorly resourced making it difficult for the lecturers to deliver. We will not go back to work until all this is sorted out through CBA negotiations,” Amolo said.
UASU treasurer Dr. Ofuowo Adongo pointed out that the new funding model was not only making universities poorer but also making it impossible for lecturers to make ends meet especially those whose children have joined universities.
“As lecturers we cannot afford to pay for our own children university education because according to new funding model our children have all been placed in band five but with meager salary and a raft of deductions, we are left with nothing to pay for our own children’s fee and as lecturers we are demoralized yet expected to lecture students,” Dr Ofuowo said.
UASU Vice chairperson Dr. Gofrey Baraza observed that the government’s move to increase salaries for teachers and civil servants ignoring university workers was discriminatory adding that only salary increment through CBA will cushion the university workers from financial mess given the impending additional deductions on their payslips in the months of October when Social Health Insurance Fund kicks-off.
KUSU counterparts led by chapter Chairperson George Onditi said workers at the University are ready to go the full length of the strike until their demands are met.
“The future of work is dim because the employer is not ready to give the employees what they deserve. We fully support the strike even if it means being arrested. We are doing this not for our benefit but for posterity,” Onditi remarked.
He assured that the two unions will remain united at the negotiation table and will not be divided adding that the national secretary generals of the two unions are under clear instructions from members that the strike should not be called off unless the negotiations have been concluded and the CBA registered in the industrial court, failure to which members will call for special national executive committee to deal with officials who go against their wishes.
According to the university KUSU branch secretary Alan Kibet, they are demanding for staff promotions for their members who have stagnated for more than ten years and are acting in solidarity with staff members from other universities who have not yet been paid June salaries.
By Erick Nyayiera
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