Lecturers demand up to 152 per cent rise in basic salary

Lecturers have tabled new demands for up to 152 per-cent basic salary increment in their new 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement proposal set for negotiations before the end of the year.

The lecturers, through the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu), want universities to increase their salaries to cushion them from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, and to ensure that lecturers above 60 years and those with pre-existing conditions can be protected from the virus.

The lecturers want the highest paid teaching staff to earn Sh494, 415 (amounting to a 75 percent raise) while the lowest paid staff to earn Sh145,702 (152 percent raise) by the end of June 30, 2025.

In the 2017-2021 CBA, which entered the final phase of implementation in July this year, the lowest paid academic staff (graduate assistants and research assistants) earn Sh57,729 while the highest paid academic staff are professors, who earn Sh283,087.

The union is also demanding for annual increments at an average rate of seven percent starting from July 2021.

Basic salary

“Annual increments shall be awarded across the board for the period starting July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2025 at an average rate of seven percent of basic salary, subject to respective salary grade ceiling,” reads the proposal signed by Uasu Secretary General, Dr Constantine Wasonga and National Chairman, Prof Samuel Muga K’Olale.

The proposed salary increment will be implemented annually for a period of five years in four phases starting July 1, 2021 to June 30, 2025.

Speaking to Higher Education, Dr Wasonga asked the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) to give their counter offer for the new proposal to avert a delay of the negotiation process.

Dr Wasonga said the IPUCCF is yet to present their proposal, a month after Uasu presented theirs.

“We wouldn’t like any problems in the negotiation process, so we want the universities councils consultative forum to present their counter offer with respect to the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC),” said Dr Wasonga.

Graduate assistants

In the first phase, Uasu is proposing graduate assistants and research assistants in job grade 10A to earn between Sh99, 650 and Sh129,696 up from between Sh57,729, assistant lecturers, tutorial fellow and junior research fellow to earn between Sh120, 702 and Sh157,095 up from Sh97, 842 and Sh137,915 and lecturers and research fellows to earn between Sh146,200 and Sh190,282, up from the current Sh110,591 and Sh160,357.

Senior lecturers and senior research fellows to earn Sh117,086 and Sh230,480, Associate professors to earn Sh214,486 and Sh279,170, up from between Sh180,337 and Sh250,668 while professors to earn between Sh259,810 and Sh338,146, up from Sh209,694 and Sh283,087 which they are currently earning.

In phase two, the graduate assistants and research assistants will earn between Sh113,103 and Sh147, 205. In phase three, they will earn between Sh128, 372 and Sh167, 078 while in phase three they will earn between Sh145,702 and Sh189,633.

Lecturers and research fellow will earn between Sh165,937 and Sh215,970 in phase two, phase three they will earn between Sh188,339 and Sh245,126 while in phase four, they will earn between Sh213,765 and Sh278,218.

Senior lectures will earn Sh200,993 to Sh261,595 in phase two, Sh228,126 and Sh296,910 in Phase three and Sh258,924 and Sh336 and 993 in phase four.

Uasu is proposing that associate professors to earn between Sh243,453 and Sh316,858, phase three they will earn between Sh276,319 and Sh359,663 while in phase four to earn between Sh313,622 and Sh408,184.

Professors will earn between Sh294,884 and 383,795 in phase two, Sh334,693 and Sh435,608 in phase three and Sh379,877 and Sh494,415 in phase four if the proposal is accepted by universities.

Uasu is proposing house allowances for professors to be Sh116, 028 up from Sh73,715, associate professor Sh104,426 up from Sh66,344, Sh92, 822 up from 58,972 for senior lecturers and senior research fellow.

The union wants lecturers and research fellows to receive house allowances of Sh87,020 up from Sh55,286, assistant lecturers, tutorial fellows and junior research fellow to receive Sh81,220 up from sh51,601 and graduate and research assistants to receive Sh55,692 up from Sh35,383 monthly.

Retirement age

They have also proposed the retirement age for lectures to be increased from 70 to 75 years. The academic staff can however retire voluntarily at the age of 59 years or above.

The union further wants the teaching staff to receive car loans and mortgage schemes at the rate of one percent interest rate per annum and be given 60 working days annual leave.

Further, they want to be given a book and professional allowance of between Sh6,000 to Sh60,000 depending on the job group.

Uasu is proposing that the universities establish and operate a comprehensive non-contributory inpatient and outpatient medical schemes to cover the staff, spouse and up to five dependent children under the age of 25 years.

They also want promotions to be based on academic and professional qualifications, publications, supervision of postgraduate students, relevant experience and length of service.

The new proposal comes at a time when Uasu has been pushing for the implementation of the Sh6.6 billion 2017-2021 CBA which they accuse universities of implementing selectively. The case is still pending in court.

Dr Wasonga has since asked universities to implement the CBA in a transparent manner. Uasu has been complaining that many public universities have taken advantage of horizontal implementation to pay workers the least possible compensation.