Officials from a lecturers’ union threatened to organize a protest yesterday due to ongoing salary delays and the government’s failure to remit statutory deductions for public university staff.
University employees are experiencing financial strain because of these delays, according to University Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General Constantine Wasonga. He characterized the pay delays as insensitive and inconsiderate, emphasizing their negative impact on the welfare of union members.
“The union shall not condone any delays in the release of salaries to public universities in future and shall take action to force compliance in line with the provisions of the law,” he warned.
“The inability of universities to pay gross salaries to our members has resulted in dire consequences.”
He listed several critical issues arising from the delays, including non-remittance of National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) contributions, non-payment of third-party deductions for loans and
insurance, and suspension of other essential services.
Bank repossessions “Our members lose property due to repossession by banks and other financial institutions due to failure to service loans, and penalties on delayed remittances,” he lamented.
“Academic staff who retire are unable to get their pension and are wallowing in poverty and ill health.
Many lecturers and their families have no access to healthcare.”
He also criticised the reduction of salaries at Technical University of Kenya (TUK), where staff were said to have received only 65 percent of their expected pay “What annoyed us is what happened at the Technical University of Kenya, where the university just woke up and decided to pay our members a net salary at the rate of 65 percent,” he said.
“Don’t get used to 65 percent, because you did not offer your services at 65 percent. We have been warning the government consistently that there’s a problem at Technical University of Kenya and they have failed to take action.”
The University of Kenya has failed to take action regarding the issue at hand. Condemning the decision, Wasonga stated that such cuts are unacceptable, especially in the current economic climate. He emphasized the financial challenges faced by union members, including a reported increase in mortality among university workers.
UASU National Chairperson Grace Nyongesa pointed out that union members frequently experience salary delays, which she believes demonstrates a lack of respect for these workers. She stressed that union members are entitled to the same social and economic rights as other Kenyans.
The protest notice from UASU comes just days after teachers’ unions, Knut and Kuppet, threatened to mobilize their members for a strike in September unless the government commits to implementing phase two of their 2021-2025 collective bargaining agreement, which would have allowed for a 7.9% salary increase in July.
On Tuesday, newly appointed Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua met with Knut officials as the government sought to persuade teachers not to take industrial action during a critical term when students will be sitting their national examinations. Mutua offered to meet with the Teachers Service Commission by next week to address the teachers’ grievances.
