Lecturers from all public university have issued a seven-day strike notice after failing to agree with the government on implementation of a return-to-work formula they signed barely a month ago when they downed tools demanding for better pay.
The new 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 University Academic Staff Union (Uasu), the Kenya University Staff Union and the Kenya Union of Domestic Hotels Educational Institutions Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha).
“We met the inter-ministerial committee today. We have totally disagreed on the implementation of the return-to-work formula signed on September 26 2024. Whereas the unions want the RTWF implemented as was signed and simulated by the technical committee, the government introduced a global figure of Sh4.3B that is not on the RTWF to cover the two years. Therefore, I have formally issued a 7 day(s) strike notice,” said Dr Constantine Wasonga, the secretary-general of Uasu in a communication to members.
Last week on Tuesday, the dons had warned that they would go back to the streets if the government failed to honour the agreement. According to their tabulations, implementation of the agreement requires Sh9 billion, more than double the amount required for the increment backdated by two years.
“We're not going to shy away from calling another strike,” he warned the government. “If the CBA is not honoured by Tuesday, we will be on the streets,” Dr Wasonga said.
In a letter addressed to the councils of 35 public universities and three constituent colleges, Dr Wasonga says that the notice takes effect from October 22 2024. He cites the failure by the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) to “negotiate, conclude, register and implement chapter collective bargaining agreements (CBA) for the cycles 2013–2017, 2017–2021 and 2021–2025.
However, the secretary-general of Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) Charles Mukhwaya told Nation.Africa that the union has issued a strike notice because the parties have scheduled another meeting for Wednesday September 23 2024.
“We’re still talking and the government has invited us for another meeting tomorrow. We’re waiting for formal communication, it’s better to wait because it might break the stalemate,” Dr Mukhwaya said.
After the unions signed the return-to-work formula, they formed a team of eight to work on tabulations for the various job grades and then submit its report to the inter-ministerial committee for consideration and approval so that the new backdated salaries reflect in the October salaries.
As part of the deal, workers in job grades 13A, 14A and 15A will get a 7 per cent pay 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 beginning July 1 2023.
The universities staff 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 beginning July 1 2023.
The parties also agreed that the retirement age for graduate assistants, tutorial fellows and assistant lecturers be harmonised at 70 years while senior lecturers, associate professors and professors will retire at 74 years.
The parties also agreed on a framework for car loans and mortgage schemes for universities staff while in the next one month, they will work on the pending issues which include harmonization of allowances, a medical cover and promotions, among others.
