News and Analysis
November 22, 2024
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University union officials called off the two week lecturers strike on Thursday, September 26 after negotiations led by Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua.
Two major unions—the Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) and the Kenya Universities Staff Union (KUSU) came to an agreement with the government after a committee formed for addressing their concerns met, leading to the call off.
In the return-to-work formula signed with UASU, universities will now pay an enhanced monthly basic salary, with increments ranging between 7-10 per cent.
An automatic annual increase of 4 percent of the basic salary will be implemented during the two-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) period, which spans from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2025.
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The age of retirement for all academic staff, including graduate assistants, tutorial fellows, and assistant lecturers, will also be harmonised and pegged at 70 years.
KUSU members will benefit from a similar salary increment, also set between 7- 10 per cent. The retirement age for non-academic staff, including those in teaching laboratories and university libraries, will be standardised at 65 years.
The called off strike comes just a day after a committee comprising of representatives from the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Education, National Treasury, Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), public universities, the State Corporations Advisory Committee (SCAC), and KUSU and UASU unions was formed to address the issues raised.
Mutua said 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 again beginning Tuesday, October 1, to resolve pending issues.
These include the harmonisation of allowances, medical cover, internal CBAs, enhanced staffing in public universities, and budgets for promotions, car loans, and mortgage schemes.
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