Members of the Universities Staff Academic Union during a protest on July 3, 2017. PHOTO | ANTHONY OMUYA | NMG
Learning in public universities was
paralysed Monday as lecturers made good their threat to down their tools
demanding full implementation of their Sh10 billion Collective
Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
At the University of
Nairobi (UoN), UASU secretary-general Constantine Wasonga said the dons
will not resume work until the CBA is implemented in its entirety.
“The strike will not be called off until the Sh10 billion CBA is implemented in full and not in phases,” Mr Wasonga said.
He dismissed claims by education CS Dr Fred Matiang’i that the CBA was to be implemented in phases.
“I
challenge the CS to produce documents as evidence signed by both the
government and the union showing that the CBA was to be implemented in
phases.
“We have a letter from Education Principal
Secretary showing that the CBA was to be implemented in full and we will
not accept anything less than that,” Mr Wasonga said. On Sunday, Dr
Matiang’i urged the workers and lecturers not to resort to a strike as
the ministry has already wired Sh4.775 billion to bank accounts of 31
public universities and colleges.
The CS explained that
the CBA was concluded before the end of the financial year 2016/2017
and therefore, it was agreed that the implementation would be staggered
into two financial years — 2016/2017 and 2017/2018.
Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) Secretary-General
Charles Mukhwaya also said there was no agreement that the CBA was to be
implemented in two tranches.
“We demand full implementation of the CBA that was the agreement during the negotiations.
‘The
Education ministry did not present any proposal to pay us in two phases
and we will not accept anything less than the Sh10 billion,” Mr
Mukhwaya said.
More than 30,000 university staff were to receive arrears, which was supposed to be paid by close of business on Friday.
The
deal meant that the highest-paid lecturer was to take home up to Sh1
million in accumulated arrears and the lowest paid about Sh400,000.
The lowest-paid professor, who earns a basic salary of Sh144,672, was to take home Sh171,207 a month under the agreement.
The
amount translates to accrued arrears of Sh745,953 and the least-paid
academic staff — an assistant lecturer —was to earn Sh85,159, up from
Sh69,794, with the highest-paid getting Sh121,121, up from Sh99,642.
A
lecturer currently earning Sh83,361 was to pocket Sh100,836; the
highest-paid currently getting Sh118,861 will now get Sh143,779.
The
deal came after lecturers in March called off a strike that started in
mid-January over poor pay. Professors were in January demanding a 400
per cent pay rise.
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