Learning activities in all public universities countrywide are expected to grind to a halt after Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) members issued a 7-day strike notice.
The Union accused the government of failing to implement the 2021-2025 Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA) that was signed by the two parties in 2021.
Addressing a stakeholder meeting in Kakamega on Tuesday, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga noted that despite conducting 10 meetings with relevant authorities, nothing has been implemented yet.
Wesonga revealed that the team submitted their proposal to the government on September 4, 2024, but since then, the government has been taking them around in circles without substantive commitment.
University students during a lecture from the Kenya Defence Forces
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KDF
The Secretary-General confirmed that after the disagreements, the union decided to disengage and take legal process of initiating an industrial action route.
If the two parties fail to reach an agreement, UASU will commence their national strike which will paralyse operations in all public universities.
UASU SG Constantine Wesonga observed that Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) are colluding to undermine lecturers’ demands over the implementation of the CBA.
The SRC introduced percentile without public participation. The percentile is a new factor that has not been used in any CBA negotiations since the inception of the Union which has affected the negotiations.
The union is also protesting SRC’s move to increase the salaries of a small section of the lecturers while overlooking the majority of them.
Among other things, UASU is protesting over salary delays and incomplete payments.
The Union represents 10,000 – 12,000 academic staff members across the country and their strike may grind tertiary education to a standstill.
UASU Union is also opposed to the new university funding model claiming it needs to be tailored to serve both learners and universities.
Vice Chancellors of public universities meet in Athi River on Thursday, August 10, to finalise the onboarding process of digital migration.
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Bitok
