The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) has kicked off its strike at the Technical University of Kenya after their 7-day ultimatum beginning August 26 to have their demands met elapsed.
The Lecturers boycotted work to push for the implementation of the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
They demanded for a salary increment as per the CBA, immediate payment of salaries and non-remittance of statutory and third-party deductions including bank loans, sacco loans and subscriptions, insurance premiums, NSSF, NHIF and AHL; and probe into the virtually insolvent Staff Retirement and Benefits Scheme (TUK-SRBS) among others.
The Union said they will not resume duty until the aforementioned issues are satisfactorily addressed.
UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga had announced notice of the strike last Monday following a meeting by the union’s National Executive Committee (NEC).
Wasonga said that most public universities have dysfunctional medical schemes, and the failure to remit NHIF deductions has worsened the situation stressing the high rate of suffering among the tutors.
The union also condemned salary cuts at the Technical University of Kenya, where staff are reportedly received only 65 percent of their July pay.
The strike now follows the secondary school teachers’ strike that has now entered the second week. The strike has paralyzed learning in public schools with some getting closed over failure by teachers to report to work.
By Obegi Malack
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