Lecturers set to issue fresh strike notice

Universities Academic Staff Union Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga gestures as he addresses a media briefing on July 18, 2017 at a city hotel over the lecturers' strike. They are set to issue another strike notice. PHOTO | FRANCIS NDERITU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The more than 9,000 lecturers are protesting the delay in implementation of the new salary scale by the government.

Lecturers in 31 public universities are once again set to strike after their union leaders endorsed the plan on Friday.

The National Executive Council (NEC), which comprises 31 chapter secretaries directed Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga to issue a 21-day strike notice starting on Monday.

“I have received the unanimous approval of NEC to give the government a strike notice and I will do so on Monday,” Dr Wasonga said.

RE-OPEN

This will be the third time that the lecturers will be going on strike this year, a move that is further set to disrupt the academic year for more than 500,000 students.

The past two strikes took more than 55 days.

Universities re-opened last Monday after a month break for elections and repeat polls set for October 17 will also disrupt learning.

SALARY
The more than 9,000 lecturers are protesting the delay in implementation of the new salary scale by the government, which paid them Sh10 billion arrears.

“I have never seen this happen that you pay a worker an improved salary for one month then you revert back to the old salaries,” Dr Wasonga said.