The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General Wilson Sossion has assured striking lecturers they have the TUC-K’s (Trade Union Congress of Kenya) support. “We shall stand behind our affiliates to remain on the strike for as long as possible,” he said, urging lecturers to remain firm and sustain their strike. While addressing the press at KNUT headquarters in Nairobi, he said they can only go back once there is a clear return to work formula based on a total implementation of the Kshs 10 billion CBA.
The KNUT leader criticized the government for dragging their feet, insisting that an already agreed CBA can’t be negotiated, “No CBA shall be renegotiated whatsoever. Immediately implement it as mutually agreed, and moving forward embrace stakeholder participation in decision making,” he said. He said the Education Cabinet Secretary should also respect partners and agreements.
Furthermore, he asserted that the government isn’t ready to deal with the ongoing lecturers’ strike, “If doctors were not attended to for ninety days and the nurses have been on strike for three weeks, then it goes without doubting they aren’t ready to deal with that. It’s wrong for the government not to address labour matters,” he said. He said that shows the government doesn’t respect its workforce, “If it did we wouldn’t be where we are, a CBA is signed, deposited in court, it’s law.”
The lecturers had issued a strike notice on 30th June, last week on Friday, and it effectively started on Monday, and the lecturers have insisted they won’t go back to work unless the Collective Bargaining Agreement is implemented. The strike has affected learning activities in Universities across the country.
