End strike or get the sack, dons warned
PHOTO | DANIEL IRUNGU University of Nairobi students took to the streets to address their anger over the failure of the government to speed up negotiations with striking teaches as well as the Tana delta killings.
What you need to know:
- A statement issued on Saturday by the Vice-Chancellors’ Committee of the Inter-Public University Councils Consultative Forum warned that the current strikes have no legal protection and those who will not resume duty will be sacked
- On Saturday, the Vice-Chancellors said the strike had been illegalised by the Industrial Court and they would, therefore, be free to sack anyone who failed to report to duty
- Negotiations on a return-to-work formula designed to end the nationwide doctors’ strike to be supervised by Industrial Court
Striking public university lecturers have been ordered to report back to lecture halls on Monday morning or risk losing their jobs.
A statement issued on Saturday by the Vice-Chancellors’ Committee of the Inter-Public University Councils Consultative Forum warned that the current strikes have no legal protection and those who will not resume duty will be sacked.
“Any member of staff of the public universities who will not report to work as directed shall be construed as having breached their contract of employment for participating in the unprotected strike,” the statement read.
On Saturday, the Vice-Chancellors said the strike had been illegalised by the Industrial Court and they would, therefore, be free to sack anyone who failed to report to duty.
It is not clear how the lecturers will react.
Earlier, Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) Secretary-General Muga K’Olale told the Sunday Nation that the strike would continue until the government meets their demands of increasing salaries and house allowances for professors, associate professors, senior lecturers, lecturers and assistant lecturers. (Read: Dons reject govt team set up for pay talks)
Meanwhile, negotiations on a return-to-work formula designed to end the nationwide doctors’ strike will be supervised by the court.
Industrial Court Judge Stephen Radido on Friday ordered the ministry of Medical Services and Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPPDU) to appear in court on Monday with a list of appropriately authorised officers who will carry on the negotiations between the parties under the supervision of the court.
Also to present a list of their representatives are Kenyatta National Hospital, Mathari Mental Hospital, University of Nairobi (UoN) and the Attorney-General.
The two hospitals are involved in the case because some self-sponsored trainees, also known as registrars, have paralysed the institutions’ services after they downed their tools demanding a stipend of Sh92,000 a month for the services they offer. (Read: Patients return home as doctors stay away)
Training facilities
Most of them are students from the UoN, which is relying on the services of the hospitals because it does not have its own training facilities.
The order came after it emerged that all the parties in the doctors’ strike were in agreement that there was a binding return-to-work formula signed in December last year, but disagreements on how it should be implemented.
Mr Justice Radido also ordered that the AG, through his lawyer Kiage Oenga, inform the ministries of Finance, Public Service and Labour to send their representatives to the court on Monday.
