Court issues directives to lecturers over ongoing strike

By Peter Ochieng

Lecturers have been ordered back to the negotiating table, two days after downing their tools.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court on Wednesday, declared the ongoing strike unprotected. It ordered the University Academic Staff Union (UASU officials to return to the negotiations table with the government, so as to craft a return-to-work formula.

Lecturers went on strike on Tuesday for the second time in less than three months, demanding that the government heeds their demands as stipulated in the 2012-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). UASU officials and all interested parties were granted 14 days to file a response on the matter.

November 28, 2024 was set as the date of mention.

The current strike has paralyzed learning in public universities across the country, for the last 24 hours. A Kisii university student who spoke to this writer said no learning was going on at the institution.

“No learning is taking place. We are stranded. In fact, I am contemplating going home until the issue of the strike is addressed,” said the Journalism and Media studies student.

Another comrade at Maseno University City campus confirmed that they didn’t have classes on Tuesday. “I am not sure whether we will have classes today,” he added.

The latest strike was called by UASU Secretary General Constantine Wasonga, accusing the government of not honouring the negotiated return to work formula which had numerous benefits to cater for their welfare.

''I want to tell UASU members wherever they are to down their tools because the government has failed to listen to us,'' he said.

"We did not fail in terms of expressing good faith because we suspended our strike initially to listen to the government. It seems they are not honest. If you have given a member 7 per cent it will show, we are not dealing with illiterate people who don't know how to calculate 7 and 4 per cent so you cannot cheat them. You want UASU officials to be part of that manipulation. We will not do that,'' added Wasonga.

He disclosed that they had been engaging the government to sign a return-to-work formula, with the last attempt to reach an agreement failing during a meeting held on September 26.