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Varsity workers call off strike after govt deal

uasu

Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga (centre) makes a point across during a media briefing on July 18, 2017. University workers have called off their strike after signing an agreement with the government. PHOTO | NMG

University workers have called off their strike after signing after signing a return-to-work formula with the government.

The worker’s three unions' officials -- the Universities’ Academic Staff Union (Uasu), Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospital and Allied workers (Kudheiha) -- called off the strike after the government agreed to pay Sh5.2 billion by end of this month.

The officials on Tuesday said they received a letter from the Ministry of Finance confirming they would receive the funds by July 31.

Early this month, the government released Sh4.8 billion for the 10 billion collective bargaining agreement signed in March.

Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said the calling off the strike does not guarantee the government that they will not strike again, but they will down tools in the event their agreement is not full filed.

'Benefit of doubt'

“We want to give the government yet another benefit of doubt that the Sh5.2 billion is paid by July 31. Should that not be the case, the workers will down their tools again,” he said.

The workers said this even as they called on the Ministry of Education to calls to invite them for a meeting next week to begin negotiations on the 2017-2021 CBA.

“We do not want to start such differences in the next five years, the better we agree on a CBA the better,” he said.

The three unions also want the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to spearhead a transparent job evaluation exercise that will see senior lectures and other workers placed in their respective job groups according to their qualifications.

“We are not going to accept a defective process,” said Dr Wasonga.