Lecturers and university staff down tools in salaries row

In Summary

• Dr Wasonga said due to the unstructured salary system in public universities, professors are earning less than their students in the medical sector.
• This is because the government has refused to implement professors' allowances, he said.
• The universities, he added, are also unable to make third-party remittances to National Health and Insurance Fund, Kenya Revenue Authority, funds, pensions schemes, Saccos and banks.

By FAITH NYAMAI
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Learning in public universities and medical colleges was paralysed on Thursday after lecturers,

university staff and some specialist doctors downed their tools to demand structured salaries.

Members of Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu), Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu), Kudheiha and Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Union (KMPDU) vowed not to return to work until the government agrees to table a counter-offer to their 2017-2021 proposal.

Alternatively, they want their employer to honour and implement their proposals in their current form.

YATTANI ADVICE

Uasu secretary-general Constantine Wasonga said they had not defied directive by Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani to give dialogue a chance.

“We never disagreed with the conciliator, instead he should tell the university councils and the government to table a counter-offer, but our strike is on from today,” he told reporters in Nairobi.

Dr Wasonga said due to the unstructured salary system in public universities, professors are earning less than their students in the medical sector.

This is because the government has refused to implement professors' allowances, he said.

The universities, he added, are also unable to make third-party remittances to National Health and Insurance Fund, Kenya Revenue Authority, funds, pensions schemes, Saccos and banks.

“Every time the universities are always complaining that they do not have funds, if the funds are not available, let them close,” he said.

150PC RAISE

KMPDU chairman Ouma Oluga said a section of their members who are academic staff in public universities would take part in the countrywide strike.

He said despite successfully negotiating for several allowances for specialist doctors, universities have not implemented them.

Kusu National organising-secretary Earnest Wayaya told all the non-teaching staff to join the lectures in solidarity until the CBA is implemented.

“We are not going to allow a situation where university councils and the government are not able to fulfill their promises,” said Mr Wayaya.

Uasu has proposed new ranks for lecturers which will include professor, associate professor, senior lecturer, lecturer, assistant lecturer, tutorial fellow, and graduate assistant, and equivalent research ranks.

On its past, Kusu wants a 150 percent salary increase and 100 percent raise in housing allowance to cushion members from high cost of living.