Labour court orders striking Dedan Kimathi University staff to resume work
Workers of Dedan Kimathi University of Technology in Nyeri picket on June 21, 2016 demanding an increase in their commuter allowances. The labour court has ordered that they go back to work as negotiations continue. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The order followed an application filed by the university seeking to have the strike which started on Monday declared illegal.
- The workers demanded that their travelling allowances be raised from Sh4,340 to Sh16, 000.
- Justice Ongaya directed that the case be heard on June 23.
- He also directed the parties to continue with negotiations in good faith with the view of resolving the issue.
The Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nyeri has ordered workers of Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT) who had gone on strike demanding a raise in allowances to resume duty immediately.
Justice Byram Ongaya Wednesday ruled that the picketing by the workers had been prohibited until a further order is issued by the court.
The order followed an application filed by the university seeking to have the strike which started on Monday declared illegal.
Justice Ongaya ordered the striking employees to go back to work “without any victimisation or harassment”.
The workers, who are members of the University Academic Staff Union (Uasu), Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha) had protested of alleged intimidation by the university and accused their employer of deliberately delaying talks.
RAISE ALLOWANCES
They also demanded that their travelling allowances be raised from Sh4,340 to Sh16, 000 to match their colleagues in other institutions.
They called the strike after they failed to reach an agreement on Thursday last week.
The university, through lawyer Wahome Gikonyo, moved to court on Tuesday arguing that if the strike was not stopped, operations at the university would be paralysed.
Mr Wahome said the workers gave a four-day strike notice on June 16 instead of seven days’ notice as provided for by the law.
Vice-Chancellor Paul Ndirangu Kioni, in his affidavit, said the university and the unions have for several months been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with a view to having new travel allowances.
Justice Ongaya directed that the case be heard on June 23.
He also directed the parties to continue with negotiations in good faith with the view of resolving the issue.
(Reporting by Faith Nyamai; Editing by Martin Kinyanjui)
