Crisis looms in universities as lecturers resume strike
Universities Academic Staff Union national secretary-general Constantine Wasonga.
Lecturers in all public universities are set to resume their nationwide strike at midnight, following a disagreement between the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and government over the implementation of the return to work formula they signed on September 26, 2024.
The strike is likely to disrupt learning and exams in universities. Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga has instructed his members not to teach, mark or supervise university examinations until the government honours the pay increase agreement they signed.
He said the disagreement stemmed from details of the pay deal agreed by the parties when the dons called off a strike last month. He accused the government of mischief and insisted that they would not return to work until the money was in their accounts.
“Just work today up to midnight, after one minute, down your tools. Let there be no physical teaching, no online teaching, no marking and no invigilation [of examinations] until the money hits your accounts,” he said after chairing a national executive council meeting at the union's headquarters in Nairobi.
The controversial agreement was signed between Uasu and the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF). Under the agreement, lecturers in lower grades were to receive a 10 percent salary increase, while those in higher grades were to receive a seven percent salary increase and an automatic four percent annual increment on the basic salary. This was to be backdated by two years (2023-2024 and 2024-2025) and implemented in October 2024 salaries.
“IPUCCF doesn’t want to factor in automatic annual increment at four percent,” Dr Wasonga said.
The return-to-work formula was brokered by Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua. The strike had involved other university workers represented by the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) and the Kenya Union of Domestic Hotels Educational Institutions Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha).
But the two unions were absent from Monday's press conference.
“I don’t speak for other unions. If they have accepted, good for them. I only represent members of Uasu,” said Dr Wasonga when asked about two unions' participation in the strike.
After signing the agreement to resume work, the three unions and IPUCCF selected two representatives each to work on tabulations to improve the salaries of university workers.
The members retreated to Machakos University for three days and worked out the figures. The total cost of the agreement was Sh9.8 billion. But on their return to Nairobi, the inter-ministerial committee, comprising the ministries of Education, National Treasury and Labour, offered Sh4.3 billion for the workers.
Dr Wasonga said a team from the government side did their own simulations based on the Sh4.3 billion offer, which they rejected.
“We agreed to a phased implementation. They can start with the Sh4.3 billion as they reorganise themselves but we must get what we agreed upon,” he said.
The parties agreed that the retirement age for graduate assistants, tutorial fellows and assistant lecturers will be harmonised at 70, while senior lecturers, associate professors and professors will retire at 74.
The parties also agreed on a framework for car loans and mortgage schemes for university staff, while they will work over the next month on outstanding issues including the harmonisation of allowances, medical covers and promotions.
