University lecturers vow to continue with strike as they condemn police brutality
A Protester runs past teargas smoke along Harambee Avenue in Nairobi on September 23, 2024 during a protest by members of the University Academy Staff Union(UASU) and Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) over delays and nonpayment of their full salaries.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) have vowed to continue with the nationwide strike unless the National Executive Committee and National Delegates Conference of the two unions, respectively, decide to call it off.
Uasu national Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga accused the Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba of not taking them seriously while at the same time lying that they had reached an agreement.
According to Dr Wasonga, they want the government to implement the negotiated 7-10 percent salary increase accorded to other government workers. The university staff grievances include low and delayed salaries, non-remittance of statutory deductions and the government’s failure to implement a comprehensive medical scheme.
“We don’t want any promises, we made our proposal on September 4, 2020. If you are still asking for more time in 2024, think twice! We are also civil servants and we want the 7-10 per cent that other civil servants have been given,” Dr Wesonga said.
He wondered why the government was offering a one-year CBA for university staff and two years for other civil servants.
“We are also civil servants and that we will not take. Give us two years or stay with your offer,” he said.
According to Dr Wasonga, the current terms and conditions of service for university staff are contained in the 2017-2021 CBA which expired on June 30, 2021.
No progress
On his part, Kusu Secretary-General Charles Mukwaya said the staff have waited for three years to negotiate the CBA as there has been no progress since they tabled their demand proposal on September 4, 2020.
“There was no counter-proposal until 2023 and even that was a nil-offer to our members. They’ve now said no more waiting. We told the CS that if they’re unwell to give our members a salary increment, then they should cushion these workers, as a bare minimum,” he said.
“The seven days’ notice lapsed, we had extended the window for the government to get back to us with a positive response but none has come.”
Among the issues, the lectures are demanding in the petition which they delivered at parliament on Monday are basic salary with the union demanding the lower grades in public universities be given a 10 percent increment as was awarded to other public servants.
They also want a uniform 4 percent automatic annual increment and harmonisation of allowances across universities in line with Section 12 of the SRC Act, 2011 – equal remuneration to persons for work of equal value.
They also want medical schemes in public universities saying that they are either none existent or dysfunctional. They said that the failure of universities to remit monthly NHIF deductions makes the situation worse.
“The Unions demand that the government budget and procure a non-contributory comprehensive medical insurance cover for all university staff,” part of the petition reads in part.
The Unions are also demanding that the government budget for money to enable university staff to benefit from car loans and mortgage schemes saying that the SRC in its advisory vide circular Ref. No: SRC/ADM/CIR/1/13 Vol. III (128) dated December 17, 2014 set and advised on the Car Loan and Mortgage benefits for all State and public officers.
Others are budgetary allocations for staff promotions and reviews, a budget for the recruitment of an additional 15,000 academic staff, pensions, and the government to harmonise retirement ages at 74 and 65 years for Uasu and Kusu respectively across all universities as per government circulars.
At the same time, they demand that the government immediately negotiates, signs, registers and implements the 2013-2017, 2017-2021 and 2021-2025 Internal CBAs.
They also want the government to immediately pay the deferred salaries for Egerton staff, and those (deferred salaries) for Moi University and the Technical University of Kenya workers addressed immediately.
On Monday morning, at least 21 lecturers were arrested as they marched through the streets they tried to deliver petitions to the Parliament, Treasury, and Ministry of Education despite orders by the Employment and Labour Relations Court suspending it.
Scamper for safety
The dons who downed their tools a week ago were met with teargas canisters from the police who dispersed the striking university staff who were marching in the Nairobi city centre.
Police responded by firing teargas, scattering the crowd, and igniting tension while derailing the lecturers from marching to Parliament.
The teargas forced the dons to scamper for safety as smoke filled the air. Business activities in the city were affected, with pedestrians and traders also caught in the chaos.
During a press briefing on Monday afternoon, Dr Wasonga condemned the police for teargassing them, saying that they were ready for another face-off on Monday.
“We are giving the police another notice for Monday and they should be ready because we will continue with our strike until we strike a deal,” he said.
“The government is using the police to force us back to classes, will they understand what we are teaching there?” he wondered.
Justice Jacob Gakeri last week ordered the suspension of the work boycott by university staff from the two unions following an urgent application by the Inter-Public Universities’ Councils Consultative Forum of the Federation of Kenya Employers Universities Councils.
