By Fredrick Odiero
The staff at Rongo University have vowed to continue downing their tools until the university management meets their demands.
The union officials met the University Council last week but both parties failed to agree hence further paralyzing learning at the institution.
Led by the Secretary General of the Kenya Universities Staff Union Mr. Joseph Opande, the officials said the institution had failed to honour a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) entered between the workers and the management.
The unions had issues with promotion of academic staff. It also accused the institution of non-remittance of National Hospital Insurance Funds and the National Social Security Funds.
Opande said that the institution is yet to implement an internal CBA they entered and that the Workers’ Pension Scheme is yet to be operationalized.
The official wants the university to pay eight months’ salary arrears and not the two months arrears proposed by the university.
The irate workers accused the Vice Chancellor Professor Samuel Gudu of mismanaging the institution.
‘The management has been partially implementing the CBA to the detriment of workers. The VC has also practiced nepotism by recruiting his family members to various departments within the institution,’ he said.
The officials also accused the VC of dictatorship and arrogance in dismissing complaints over his dictatorial leadership style and threatening workers who criticize him.
They condemned the cronies of the VC whom they accused of siphoning money meant for workers’ welfare and threatening to fire workers who question their ill motives.
The Universities Academic Staff University Rongo chapter chairman Gerald Ochieng promised to rally behind their colleagues.
Prof Gudu did not respond to calls.
