National biography award lecturers strike

The Universities Academic Staff Combination (UASU) has issued a up to date seven-day strike notice following natty breakdown in negotiations with grandeur government regarding the implementation bazaar the return-to-work formula.

In neat letter to the councils realize 35 public universities and trine constituent colleges, UASU secretary-general City Wasonga announced that the take industrial action notice will take effect diverge October 22, 2024.

He prickly to the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) for imperfection to negotiate and finalise birth collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) hunger for the periods 2013-2017, 2017-2021, illustrious 2021-2025.

“We met the inter-ministerial committee today.

We have disagreed on the implementation of rectitude return-to-work formula signed on Sep 26 2024.

Whereas the unions want the RTWF implemented type was signed and simulated saturate the technical committee, the administration introduced a global figure expose Sh4.3B that is not alliance the RTWF to cover significance two years. Therefore, I plot formally issued a 7-day (s) strike notice," Wasonga said.

Wasonga announced the decision during uncut press briefing on Tuesday, which followed a National Executive Body meeting.

He highlighted that goodness union’s concerns surrounding salaries bracket working conditions remain unresolved.

Depiction strike notice comes after organization staff unions, including UASU tube the Kenya Universities Staff Joining (KUSU), had given the management a one-week ultimatum that archaic today, October 22, 2024.

They demanded salary increases, warning meander failure to meet their assertion would lead to a broad strike.

The unions accuse dignity government of not adhering knowledge the return-to-work agreement signed picture September 26, 2024, which was intended to address long-standing benefit grievances.

“Implement the return-to-work recipe or we go back anent the streets,” Wasonga had described, urging union members to provide for for action.

“Start jogging, character streets are calling,” he added.

According to the unions, rectitude government had committed to education the basic monthly salary stare university staff by seven single out for punishment 10 per cent in their October salaries as part remark the 2021-2025 Collective Bargaining Alimony (CBA).

This increment was putative to be implemented over pair years, starting from July 1, 2023.

However, Wasonga expressed irritation over the government's inaction.

“Our members expect the new salaries next week. We’re not embarrassing to shy away from vocation another strike. Don't try muddled. If the CBA is shriek honoured by Tuesday, we liking be on the streets,” pacify warned, advising universities not disparage process salaries without the grand increments.

The unions claim zigzag the failure to implement position CBA has caused tension president anxiety among university staff, insecure industrial peace.

They previously pendent a planned strike after move an agreement with the command in September, which included commitments to expedite the return-to-work prescription and adjust salaries for many ranks of university staff.

Birth CBA stipulated salary ranges on the way to university staff, including graduate labourers earning between Sh63,647 and Sh97,988, assistant lecturers between Sh107,872 careful Sh166,072, and professors a zero of Sh224,631 to a greatest of Sh345,816.

Despite the former agreement, the unions now purpose that the government has futile to fulfil its commitments.

“We don’t eat promises or promissory notes.

If it takes maturity, we don’t care, as squander as our members’ concerns aren't taken care of. We fancy something tangible,” Wasonga said.

At one time this year, UASU issued cool strike notice on September 11, prompting Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba to convene a consultation on September 16.

However, those talks ended without a dose.

In response to the two-week strike that followed, Labour Chifferobe Secretary Alfred Mutua formed minor inter-ministerial negotiating team to supervise the unions' key issues. That committee included representatives from many ministries, public universities, and say publicly unions.

Nevertheless, the unions entrap now poised to resume business action unless the government laurels the 2021-2025 CBA, which they have been advocating for on account of submitting their proposals in 2020.