The Employment and Labour Relations Court has suspended the ongoing nationwide strike by lecturers and other public university staff that has paralysed learning for the past two days.
In the ruling, Justice Stephen Radido suspended the strike ordering conciliatory talks between the varsity staff, Ministry of Education an all stakeholders.
“There is evidence that the applicant [Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum] has reported a trade dispute to the Cabinet Secretary, Labour, as contemplated under the Labour Relations Act. Good faith in industrial relations requires that parties conciliate in good faith. The court will, therefore, issue an order interdicting the ongoing strike pending conciliation,” Justice Radido ordered.
The strike came after the Universities’ Academic Staff Union (UASU), Kenya University Staff Union (KUSU), and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (KUDHEIHA), issued a seven-day strike notice, threatening to paralyse learning and operations in all public universities and colleges across the country over unfulfilled Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs).
While issuing the strike notice, UASU Secretary General Constantine Wesonga faulted the government for failing to implement the 2017-2021, 2021-2025, 2025-2029 CBAs between the union and the government in full.
He cited Ksh2.73 billion in arrears from the 2021–2025 CBA, settlement of Ksh7.9 billion from the 2017–2021 CBA and negotiation, registration, and implementation of the 2025–2029 CBA.
Speaking before members of the press on Wednesday, September 10, Wesonga expressed his frustration at the government’s continued delay in honouring the CBAs worth billions, despite multiple meetings and formal submissions.
He noted that the union had exhausted all available avenues for dialogue, accusing the Interpublic Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) and the government of undermining the agreement following rigorous discussions.
However, a day before the commencement of the strike, the government released the Ksh2.73 billion that had arose from the 2021-2025 CBA in a last ditch attempt to persuade the lecturers to call off the strike.
The move did not work, with lecturers and staff from public universities such as the University of Nairobi (UoN), Dedan Kimathi University of Technology(DeKUT), University of Eldoret(UOE), Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) and other institutions across the country proceeding on the nationwide strike.
In the images and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke, the dons were seen marching as they waved banners and blew vuvuzelas.
After the ruling, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Migos Ogamba appealed to the unions to comply with the court order and call off the strike in order for the parties to pursue the conciliation process.
The university unions are yet to respond to the ruling, with the nationwide strike still ongoing across the country.
