The umbrella Trade Unions Congress of Kenya (TUC- Kenya) has backed the strike action by public university dons and non-teaching staff accusing the government of lacking commitment to resolve the matter.
They called on the affiliates, Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu), to maintain their ground until the government pays all the Sh10 billion in full.
TUC- Kenya general secretary Wilson Sossion accused Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i of blatantly violating a mutually agreed Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) by directing that it be implemented in phases.
“It is fatally inconceivable and overtly unimaginable that the same CS now disowns a government offer of Sh10 billion to workers and has varied the CBA without involving stakeholders,” he said.
He noted as unfortunate that universities will face a second disruption of academic programmes in a year when the parties agreed that the CBA would be implemented on or before 30 June 2017.
He maintained that there will not be renegotiation of the CBA since the document has already been deposited at the Employment and Labour Relation Court.
Sossion who was accompanied by Uasu secretary general Constantine Wasonga and his Kusu counterpart Charles Mukhwaya blamed the government of abdicating its role and undermining workers.
“The government cannot wish away this strike. If they fail to manage it, then they lack the legitimacy to govern,” he said during a press conference at the umbrella union headquarters.
“We urge our members to remain firm until the government fulfils its role and pays teachers their dues,” he added.
TUC-K urges the government to immediately implement the CBA as mutually agreed, embrace stakeholder participation in decision making. Who was involved in varying the award of Sh10 billion downward to Sh4 billion,” he stated.