The strike, which involves about 27,700 teaching and non-teaching employees, entered its second week Monday, paralysing learning in the 31 public universities across the country.
Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga asked the lecturers to continue with the strike until the government and university councils honour the 2013-2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The lecturers are seeking Sh6 billion from the deal.
University staff at public universities have ignored Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i’s plea to call off their strike and vowed to continue with the boycott until a Sh10 billion pay deal agreed with the government is fully implemented.
The strike, which involves about 27,700 teaching and non-teaching employees, entered its second week Monday, paralysing learning in the 31 public universities across the country.
Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga asked the lecturers to continue with the strike until the government and university councils honour the 2013-2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
“Labour rights are human rights and are therefore inalienable, unimpeachable, and non-derogable. Let’s all fight for our rights to the ultimate end,” Dr Wasonga said.
The CBA, registered in court this year, was to be implemented on or before June 30.
The lecturers are seeking Sh6 billion from the deal. Junior support staff — under the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospital and allied workers (Kudheiha) — are supposed to get Sh1 billion while senior non-teaching staff want Sh3 billion.
“There’s no provision whatsoever for phased implementation. The National Implementation Committee (NIC) created under the CBA worked out implementation tables and schedules fully exhausting the Sh6 billion to the benefit of lecturers,” said the Uasu secretary-general.
“It’s equally disappointing that the universities’ councils haven’t yet given a counter offer to Uasu’s 2017-2021 CBA proposal,” said Dr Wasonga.
He disclosed that a meeting with the Salaries and Remuneration Commission on job evaluation had been postponed to a later date.
“I request all lecturers to stay the course, in unity. I urge all chapter officials to sustain this worthy and historic fight for the dignity of lecturers and the quality of university education,” said Dr Wasonga.
Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) Secretary-General Charles Mukhwaya maintained that there would be no talks on phased implementation.
“We want what we agreed on,” said Dr Mukhwaya.
Last week, Dr Matiangi’i sought to assure the university staff that the government had no intention of renegotiating the deal.
“There is no dispute at all.The government is not saying that there is no money or Collective Bargaining Agreement(CBA) but we have to be understanding and accommodative,” he said.
Dr Matiang’i said that he had directed university councils to embark on new talks for the 2017-2017 CBA.
The Treasury has also indicated that the money would be paid in two phases and that all universities have already received Sh4.8 billion.
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