The unions accused the government of negligence despite initially promising to fulfil their demands. They declared that the job boycott would resume in 7 days.
Public university lecturers and staffers under the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) have vowed to stage nationwide demonstrations due to the government’s failure to honour the agreement reached between the union leaders and the government in September this year.
The unions accused the government of negligence despite initially promising to fulfil their demands. They declared that the job boycott would resume in 7 days.
In a press briefing, the union leaders claimed that despite several attempts to compel the government into action, their demands were yet to be met leaving them with no option other than industrial action.
The union leaders now want the government to honour the agreement lest they stage nationwide demonstrations which could cripple learning in most tertiary institutions across the country. This comes after UASU called off its nationwide demonstrations following an agreement reached with the officials from the ministries of Education and Labour.
UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga in a past event. /UASU
Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua, while announcing that the government would join forces with UASU in a bid to address issues raised by lecturers that led them to strike, announced on September 25 that “During the meeting, which was attended by UASU Secretary General Dr Constantine Wasonga and KUSU Secretary General Dr Charles Mukhwaya among other members, we agreed on the formation of an inter-ministerial negotiating team.”
The committee would address the key concerns raised by the unions and work toward a return-to-work agreement. The team was to comprise representatives from the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Education, the National Treasury, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), public universities, the State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC), and the unions.
Mutua urged the team to fast-track its mandate in a bid to end the strike which affected thousands of students, a situation he believed was not pleasing to the government’s eyes.
“I emphasized the urgency of resolving the issues that have led to this strike. We cannot allow these matters to fester and disrupt the education of thousands of students.
“My ministry is committed to fairness and balance in negotiations, and it is crucial that once Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) are signed, they are honoured. If challenges arise, workers must be informed in a timely and transparent manner,” the CS assured.
According to Mutua, the unions had sought resolutions on salary increments and allowances, alongside other issues outlined in the CBA. The lecturers had downed their tools on September 18, citing delays in finalizing the 2021-2025 CBA with the government.
The parties agreed on a pay increase of between 7 per cent and 10 per cent for university staff, with those in grades 13A–15A receiving a 7 per cent increase and those in grades 10A–12A receiving a 10 per cent increase.
CS Mutua also agreed to increase the retirement threshold for all academic staff, including graduate assistants, tutorial fellows, and assistant lecturers. Following the agreement, the retirement age for all academic staff was capped at 70 years.
The government also agreed to heed an automatic annual salary increment of 4 per cent of the basic salary which would be implemented for the duration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) cycle, which runs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025.
“The Union shall immediately call off the industrial action upon the execution of this agreement. As a result, the employer shall withdraw unconditionally the Employment and Labour Relations Cause Number E780 of 2024 and parties shall bear their costs,” UASU stated.
