University Academic Staff Union's National Secretary General Dr Constantine Wasonga second (right), accompanied by the National Chairperson Dr Grace Nyongesa second (left), joins officials and other teaching members during their strike demonstrating in Eldoret City, Uasin Gishu County over pay on August 29, 2024.
Public university lecturers have issued a seven-day strike notice after failing to agree with the government on the implementation of a return-to-work formula they signed barely a month ago when they boycotted work demanding better pay.
The strike threat would further disrupt learning in the institutions following another go-slow last month.
In September, operations in public universities were grounded following a strike by members of the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu), the Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) and the Kenya Union of Domestic Hotels Educational Institutions Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha).
“We met the inter-ministerial committee today but disagreed on the implementation of the return-to-work formula signed on September 26,” Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga said on Tuesday.
“Whereas the unions want the return-to-work formula implemented as signed and simulated by the technical committee, the government introduced a global figure of Sh4.3 billion that is not on the deal to cover the two years. I have, therefore, formally issued a seven-day strike notice.”
On Tuesday last week, the lecturers said they would return to the streets should the government fail to honour the pay agreement.
According to their tabulations, the implementation of the agreement requires Sh9 billion, more than double the amount needed for the increment backdated by two years.
“We will not shy away from calling another strike. If the CBA is not honoured by Tuesday, we will be on the streets,” Dr Wasonga told a press briefing in Nairobi then.
In a letter to councils of the 35 public universities and three constituent colleges, Dr Wasonga said the notice took effect from on Tuesday.
He cited failure by the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum “to negotiate, conclude, register and implement chapter collective bargaining agreements (CBA) for the cycles 2013-17, 2017-21 and 2021-25.
Kusu Secretary-General Charles Mukhwaya told the Daily Nation that the union has not issued a strike notice because the parties scheduled another meeting for today.
“We’re still talking. The government has invited us for another meeting tomorrow and we are waiting for formal communication. It is better to wait as the meeting might break the stalemate,” Dr Mukhwaya said on Tuesday.
After signing the return-to-work formula, the workers’ unions formed a team of eight to work on tabulations for various job grades and then submit the report to the inter-ministerial committee for consideration and approval so that the new backdated salaries reflect in the October pay. The agreement was brokered by Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua.
As part of the deal, employees in job grades 13A, 14A and 15A will get a seven percent increase on their basic salary while those in job grades 10A, 11A and 12A will have their basic salaries go up by 10 per cent.
They will also benefit from an automatic annual increment computed at four per cent of the basic salary for the two years of the CBA cycle that began on July 1, 2023.
The university workers will benefit from an automatic annual increment computed at four per cent of the basic salary for the two years of the CBA cycle beginning July 1, 2023.
The parties also agreed that the retirement age for graduate assistants, tutorial fellows and assistant lecturers be harmonised at 70 while senior lecturers, associate professors and professors retire at 74.
The parties agreed on a framework for car loans and mortgage schemes for university employees while in the next one month, they will work on the pending issues which include harmonising allowances, a medical cover and promotions.
