No end in sight for strike as lecturers insist on Sh9.7bn claim
Striking Moi University UASU members at the institution on November 8, 2024.
What you need to know:
- The strike, which began in October, followed a breakdown in negotiations between the UASU and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF).
- The two parties had initially signed a return-to-work formula in September but failed to agree on the details of its implementation, leading the union to declare industrial action.
Lecturers affiliated with the University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) staged a peaceful protest in Nairobi on Monday and presented petitions to the National Treasury and the Ministry of Education over the unfulfilled Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in September.
Unlike during a similar protest in October when they were teargassed and some arrested, the lecturers were provided with security by the National Police Service.
Lecturers in public universities have been on strike for four weeks, causing widespread disruption to academic activities across the country and promised not to go back until the unfulfilled 2021-2025 is fully implemented.
UASU Secretary-General Constantine Wesonga has said that Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Migos Ogamba was misguided when he was told that lecturers had agreed to go back to work after the government’s verbal offer of Sh4.3 billion which was aimed at ending the lecturers’ strike.
Instead, the union has stood firm on its demand for Sh9.7 billion, as stipulated in the CBA which was signed in September 2024.
Dr Wasonga was speaking at the Ministry of Education offices when he handed their petition to ministry officials on Monday.
“The return-to-work formula is very clear, it is 10 per cent, 7 per cent and 4 per cent, totalling to Sh9.7 billion. It has only been four weeks now; we are willing to stay out for as long as it will take. UASU members have maintained their stand and we will not return to work until all our demands are met,” Dr Wasonga said.
The strike, which began in October, followed a breakdown in negotiations between the UASU and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF).
The two parties had initially signed a return-to-work formula in September but failed to agree on the details of its implementation, leading the union to declare industrial action.
In response to the ongoing crisis, the Labour Court intervened, ordering both sides to return to the negotiating table and speed up talks.
The court also gave the UASU 14 days to respond to a notice of motion, with all interested parties required to submit their responses within two weeks.
Amidst the ongoing strike, more than a dozen UASU officials at Moi University were suspended last week for their role in the industrial action.
The lecturers were also blocked from entering the university grounds, forcing them to hold meetings outside the campus gates.
Moi University staff on strike are yet to receive their salary arrears, despite the Treasury's promise to release Sh3.5 billion to resolve the issue.
Dr Wesonga said that the money Moi University dons are demanding is what they are owed by the government.
“If the government does not have their money, let them close down Moi University,” he said.
The ongoing strike has disrupted learning at public universities, leaving thousands of students uncertain about whether they will complete their courses. The UASU has vowed to continue the strike until its demands are fully met, further deepening the standoff between lecturers and the government.
