• Uasu had issued a seven-day strike notice on Thursday
• The union wants universities and the government to ensure the university work space is safe before reopening.
A lecturer’s union has demanded that the University of Nairobi pays all allowances owed to academic staff in the medical sciences.
In a statement to newsrooms on Friday, University Academic Staff Union’s top organ said the delay in paying the lecturers will prolong the strike at the UoN College of Health Sciences.
“Medical, dentistry, pharmacy and nursing students will most likely not graduate this year,” Uasu said.
Uasu had on Thursday also issued a seven-day strike notice.
Secretary-general Constantine Wasonga told reporters at Kenyatta National Hospital on Thursday that clinical allowances had been withdrawn and only a few members had been paid their dues.
Meanwhile, the union wants universities and the government to ensure the university work space is safe before reopening for in-person learning to counter the spread of Covid-19.
It has directed universities to have adequate sanitising stations and provide insurance health covers for academic staff.
“Public universities must be able to implement social distancing measures for academic staff and students by providing adequate space in lecture theatres, laboratories, examination rooms, office space, hostel rooms, libraries, dining facilities and other common areas,” the union said.
It added that universities should provide ICT access to all academic staff upon reopening to streamline learning.
They should also revise their intellectual property policies to ensure compensation for staff who develop materials for e-learning and patent them.
Uasu has further raised concerns over the ongoing job evaluation in public universities.
“The union will not accept the outcome of the job evaluation if the union has not participated in the process including in the job analysis and job description stages,” it said.
On Friday, Uasu said universities such as Egerton lack functional councils and are experiencing management crises.
“At Egerton university salaries of academic staff have been slashed by approximately 40 per cent…” it said.
Uasu called on the government to give the institution a rescue package and fill the vacant positions of the members of Egerton University council.
The union also demanded all the institutions to strictly comply with recent court decisions on implementation of the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement.