University of Nairobi agrees to pay hike for non-teaching staff

By STANDARD REPORTER

Thousands of non-teaching staff at the University of Nairobi will be smiling all the way to the bank as the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) the institution signed with their union increased their allowances.

The university yesterday signed the new deal with the workers’ umbrella body, the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu), which guarantees the employees increased housing, medical and leave allowances.

The monthly car allowance will increase from Sh10,000 to Sh13,000, while commuter allowance will be adjusted to Sh10,000, up from Sh7,500.

Specific medical allowances for both dental and optical needs will also be raised to Sh24,000 per year, from Sh18,000, while leave travelling allowance has been increased by 30 per cent, together with the demise in-service allowance.

Implementation of the new CBA is, however, subject to approval by the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC).  The workers earlier threatened to go on strike if their demands for a pay rise were not considered.

The implementation date for transport allowance is to be backdated to April 1, 2012, while other allowances are effective October 1, 2013.

The CBA covers terms and conditions of service for the period 2010/12 and 2012/13. 

The CBA was signed on behalf of the university by Prof Peter MF Mbithi, the deputy vice-chancellor, Administration and Finance, and for Kusu by Secretary General Dr Charles Mukhwaya who led other union officials.

Speaking during the signing ceremony, Prof Mbithi thanked the union for agreeing to have the CBA concluded and expressed optimism that staff morale would be boosted.

Dr Mukhwaya declared the new deal a win-win situation after lengthy but fruitful negotiations with the management. 

“I thank the administration for allocating resources to promote staff welfare by signing the new CBA and I appeal to them to fast track future CBAs,” he stated.

The CBA affects all non-teaching staff in grades Five to 14. Last month, Kusu and sister union, Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) threatened to boycott work until their demands were fulfilled.

The two unions had promised to paralyse all operations and would not accept anything short of the Sh3.9 billion the government owes them in salary increments and other perks.

The government had agreed to pay university workers allowances totalling Sh7 billion following a crippling strike in September last year, but so far only Sh2.1 billion has been paid.

Meanwhile, the Kenya National Union of Teachers has accused the government of frustrating efforts by retired teachers to get their retirement dues.

Bomet Knut Executive Secretary Malel Langat said most retirees are languishing in poverty after the government failed to pay their pension.

“Most of these teachers have been thronging our offices to see how the union can help them. It is immoral and unethical for Knut to go back to court to rescind what the court had duly ruled,” said Langat.

“The retirees have rendered their services but the government has been so insensitive to the extent of not allowing them to enjoy their retirement. Many have died and their families are living from hand to mouth,” said Malel.