BY OUR CORRESPONDENT
A two-week strike that had crippled learning in public universities across the country has been called off following successful negotiations led by Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Alfred Mutua.
The strike, which involved university lecturers, non-teaching staff, and various workers’ unions, came to an end after a day-long meeting at the Ministry of Labour headquarters, bringing relief to thousands of students and staff.
The deal was brokered between the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), the Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE), and three major unions: the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU), the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU), and the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals, and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA).
The deliberations also involved an inter-ministerial committee that brought together representatives from the Ministry of Education, the Treasury, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), and the Ministry of Labour.
In the return-to-work formula signed with UASU, it was agreed that the strike would be called off immediately, with no risk of victimization for union members. Universities will now pay an enhanced monthly basic salary, with increments ranging between 7% and 10%.
Additionally, an automatic annual increment of 4% of the basic salary will be implemented for the two-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) cycle, running from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025.
The retirement age for all academic staff, including graduate assistants, tutorial fellows, and assistant lecturers, will also be harmonized and pegged at 70 years.
KUSU members will benefit from a similar salary increment, also set between 7% and 10%. The retirement age for non-academic staff, including those in teaching laboratories and university libraries, will be standardized at 65 years.
In the agreement reached with KUDHEIHA, workers in universities under their representation will receive a 10% pay increase, marking a significant victory for the union’s members.
Speaking after the deal was signed, Dr. Mutua emphasized that his ministry would ensure mechanisms are put in place to address disputes before they escalate into industrial action.
“We will work to ensure that strikes are nipped in the bud and that issues raised by employees are addressed in a timely and effective manner,” he said.
The inter-ministerial committee is scheduled to meet for one month beginning October 1, 2024, to resolve pending issues.
These include the harmonization of allowances, medical cover, internal CBAs, enhanced staffing in public universities, and budgets for promotions, car loans, and mortgage schemes.
