The Universities Academic Staff Union (UASU) on Saturday, November 23, called off the lecturer's strike, which has disrupted university operations across the country since September.
The decision to call off the strike followed the government's commitment to fulfil the 2021-2025 Collective Bargain Agreement (CBA), initially valued at Ksh9.76 billion.
In the agreement, the National Treasury committed to allocating the full amount to cater for implementation of the 2021-20 CBA in the 2024/2025 financial year under Supplementary Estimates II.
In the deal, the parties involved agreed on the withdrawal of all the legal petitions filed to stop the lecturer's strike. The representative of the lecturers committed to recovering the lost time.
Maseno University lecturers protest at the institution on Monday, August 23, 2021.
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Maseno group
The latest move to end the lecturers' strike comes days after the National Assembly Committee on Education held a meeting with UASU representatives, the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), and the Inter-Ministerial Committee.
The lecturers' union had refused to return to work until the government made clear its plan to pay the lecturers the remaining Ksh5.46 billion after the government agreed to release Ksh4.3 billion.
During the Thursday noon meeting, UASU Secretary General, Constantine Wasonga confirmed the union's willingness to accept the initial amount provided the government commits to a clear payment timeline for the remaining Ksh5.46 billion over the next two financial years.
"UASU agrees to take Ksh4.3 billion immediately but the government must agree to pay the balance. In 2025/26 we will be paid half of Ksh5.4 billion and in 2026/27 the remaining half. We must agree on how to negotiate other items on the Return to Work Formula," said Wasonga.
In the meeting, Tinderet MP Julius Melly stressed the urgency of restoring normalcy in universities. "Students are waiting to graduate and parents have paid fees. It's time for parties to compromise for the sake of our education system," he said.
Nyamira MP Jerusha Momanyi while commenting on the matter, urged the government to give a formal commitment to clear the balance, urging the Treasury and relevant ministries to guarantee future payments.
"This is the fourth meeting on this matter. We need to come up with some level of compromise. Now that we have Kshs 4.3 billion on the table the Ministry of Education and Labour should commit on how to clear the balance," she noted.
On September 18, lecturers downed their tools following botched talks between the government and their representatives. Most institutions were forced to release students as the strike intensified.
University students during a lecture from the Kenya Defence Forces
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KDF
