Striking lecturers to resume pay talks
Universities Academic Staff Union Secretary General Constantine Wasonga addresses a press conference at Uniafric House in Nairobi on May 8, 2018. They will continue salary talks with the government. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- The strike in 31 public universities has paralysed learning, making it hard for students to complete their studies on time.
- Lecturers want Sh38 billion covering the July 2017-2021 collective bargaining agreement cycle.
Lecturers will on Thursday resume salary talks with the government days after rejecting an offer.
The Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) confirmed that it will attend the meeting with the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPCCF) negotiating team that is chaired by Prof Isaac Mbeche.
On Wednesday, Uasu's 40-member National Executive Committee agreed to participate in the meeting as the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) rejected the 1.75 per cent offer tabled at a separate meeting.
Kusu Secretary General Charles Mukhwaya said the offer was an insult to the staff and asked the government to take the negotiations seriously.
"We have rejected it and we demand a better offer," Dr Mukhwaya said.
LEARNING
Uasu on Monday declined to take the 1.75 per cent basic salary increase for four years and zero per cent raise on house allowance deal.
Piqued by the low offer, Secretary General Constantine Wasonga said the matter should be escalated to the Employment and Labour Relations Court for determination.
The strike in 31 public universities has paralysed learning, making it hard for students to complete their studies on time.
Lecturers want Sh38 billion covering the July 2017-2021 collective bargaining agreement cycle.
Several universities have since closed and those that have recalled students little learning is going on.
