Lecturers return to the streets after talks flop

Uasu National Chairperson Grace Nyongesa, Secretary General Constantine Wasonga and National Deputy Secretary Weldon Keter (second right) after addressing the media at Uasu Head office in Nairobi on October 28, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Some 700,000 students in public universities wake up on Tuesday to another round of lecturers’ strike, just a month after resuming classes.

The protest which has been tooted to be ‘the mother of all strikes’ will paralyse learning as students prepare for the end year papers.

Lecturers blame the government for duping them to sign a return-to-work formula which they have failed to honour.

Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) Secretary General Constantine Wasonga said that dons have been forced to go back to protest what they termed as insincerity from the government.

“Once you down your tools, this time we are not going to call off the strike before money hits our members accounts. Because if you cannot implement the first item, who will trust you with the rest,” he said.

Dr Wasonga revealed that a team set up to negotiate on behalf of the government with the lecturer’s failed to reach a middle ground a week ago.

“What has made us differ is that the Inter-Public Universities' Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) does not want to factor the automatic annual increment of four percent,” he said.

In a letter to the councils of 35 public universities and three constituent colleges, he said that the strike notice would take effect from October 22, 2024.

The union blames the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) for delaying finalising the collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) for the 2013-2017, 2017-2021, and 2021-2025 periods.

The union’s demands include salary increases for university staff, which the government had agreed to implement as part of the 2021-2025 CBA. The agreed salary increases were to take effect in October 2024, with increments between seven and 10 per cent, but this has not been honoured.

“A significant point of contention is the salary adjustment. The government’s directive for pay increase has promised a 7 per cent raise for Grades 13A, 14A, and 15A, while Grades 10A, 11A, and 12A will see a 10 percent increase,” he said.

An automatic annual increment of 4 per cent on basic salary which is also slated for the remaining two years of the CBA cycle has not been implemented.

“Our members have earned their October salaries without the 7 per cent and 10 per cent respectively factored plus the four percent. We’re not just fighting for ourselves, but standing up for the integrity of higher education in this country. When these agreements are ignored, the value we bring to universities is undermined,” he said.

Wasonga said that last month, the Uasu members downed tools across public universities and their constituent university colleges and went to the streets.

He however admitted that parties recognise the importance of resolving the dispute to restore normal operations in universities, protect the academic calendar, and uphold the welfare of academic staff.

“We are reasonable and understand that the government might not have that money, we agreed to spread the implementation. You cannot say that you want to fit a CBA for two years in 4.3 b and you want us to be part of your mutilation, us to massage data or manipulation?” He questioned.

As the two parties work toward resolving these issues, an Inter-Ministerial Committee was to sit from October 1 to focus on harmonising allowances, enhancing medical cover, staffing, and budgetary allocations for promotions, as well as a proposed car loan and mortgage scheme for staff. The outcomes of these discussions, expected by October 27, were pivotal to the agreement.

But Wasonga regretted that this has not happened, one month down the line.

“How do you expect a miracle to happen in three days when they have failed to do it in one full month? We will go back to the table only when they have sent us money and negotiate full implementation of the items above,” he said.

The Uasu secretary general also faulted the government for not employing more lecturers despite the increased population in universities.

“We have seen the government employing teachers in basic education as well as in TVETs, but when it comes to universities, we are teaching public rallies. No more teaching of rallies in public universities,” he said.

“The employer shall immediately pay, basic monthly salary at the rate advised by the government inter-ministerial committee,” he said.

Rocha Madzao, President of the University of Nairobi Students Council, has urged the government to resolve lecturers' concerns once to stabilize learning in universities.

“We are tired of the regular interruption of learning in our universities. We are struggling to recover the time we lost and there is another strike. We cannot afford to lose another day out,” he said.