Varsity dons on strike over delayed pay rise

The Secretary General UASU Constantine Wasonga addressing the press during the Lecturers strike on 8th Wednesday, 2017.
The Secretary General UASU Constantine Wasonga addressing the press during the Lecturers strike on 8th Wednesday, 2017.

Lecturers in public universities have started their strike over the failure by the government to sign the 2017-21 salary proposal.

UASU Secretary general

Constantine Wasonga said the strike will only stop when the government implements the CBA.

"Lecturers are on strike until the government has negotiated, signed, registered and implemented the CBA proposal," Wasonga said.

He further warned the vice chancellors committee to stop meddling in the lecturer's strikes.

"I want to ask the vice chancellor committee to stop meddling in our affairs, UASU does not recognize them," he said.

His sentiments were echoed by UASU national chairman Muga K'Olale who said the committees are a stumbling block to their negotiation efforts.

"They have been reluctant to give the government the cost of the CBA. Without the cost of the CBA, Treasury CS cannot address the grievances in the universities,” K’Olale said.

They spoke on Thursday during a joint press briefing with the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentist Union

at the University of Nairobi’s College of Health Sciences, Kenyatta Hospital.

KMPDU Secretary General Ouma Oluga declared support for the strike and said the

doctors who are lecturers will also withdraw their labour.

Oluga had suspended their strike on February 15 to give room for dialogue with the government.

They are pushing

for the payment of their risk and emergency call allowances.

"If you know your child is in medical school and in all the other public universities, unfortunately, they will not be taught because the lecturers will be out,” Oluga said.

He asked Health CS Sicily

Kariuki, whom he said met the union on Wednesday, to reach out to her Treasury counterpart Henry Rotich to hasten the implementation of the CBA.

"There is no more talk and commitment; we don’t deal with that anymore," Oluga said.

The strike by doctor lecturers will paralyse provision of specialized services at all referral hospitals where they teach and offer their services.

Read;

Also Read; s

WATCH: The latest videos from the Star