Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) Secretary General Constatine Wasonga and Kenya Universities Staff Union(KUSU) Secretary General Charles Mukwaya addressing journalists at Uniafric House in Nairobi on September 11, 2024 where they issued a seven day strike notice for their members over delays and non payment of their full salaries.
University lecturers and other staff will know the full details of the pay deal that ended their one-week strike this Friday when a technical committee presents its workings for approval.
The team of eight was formed over the weekend and will work on tabulations for the various job grades for three days and then submit its report on Thursday and Friday for consideration and approval. The new backdated salaries are expected to reflect in the October salaries.
The technical team comprises two representatives from the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu), Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) and the Kenya Union of Domestic Hotels Educational Institutions Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha).
The secretary-general of Uasu, Dr Constantine Wasonga, confirmed that the full details are expected on Friday. The unions and the IPUCCF signed a return-to-work formula on Thursday last week, effectively ending the strike that had paralysed operations across public universities. The deal was brokered by the cabinet secretary for Labour Dr Alfred Mutua.
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 percent.
They will also benefit from an automatic annual increment computed at four percent of the basic salary for the two years of the CBA cycle beginning July 1 2023.
“Consequently, the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for the 2021 - 2025 shall cover the last two years of the cycle beginning July 1 2023,” the return-to-work agreement reads.
The universities staff will also benefit from an automatic annual increment computed at four percent 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.
