Education CS Fred Matiang'i has asked lecturers to withdraw their
planned strike saying Sh4.7 billion has been wired to various banks.
Lecturers gave the government up to Friday midnight to implement their 2013-17 CBA, failure to
which they would
go on strike on Monday.
The CBA which expired
at midnight on Friday allocates Sh10 billion to
lecturers and non-teaching staff of three university unions, for the adjustment of their salaries and house allowances.
But in a statement on Saturday, Matiang'i said the
CBA was concluded before the end of the financial year 2016/17.
"We have wired half the amount
to the accounts of 31 public universities and colleges.The rest of the amount will come from the 2017/18 financial year," he said.
Matiang'i said the government will meet its side of the bargain.
"It is therefore our position that there is absolutely no reason for university unions to resort to industrial action," he said.
The amount in the CBA was to be shared by University Academic Staff Union, Kenya University Staff Union and Kenya Union of Domestic Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers. This was in the ratio 1:3:6.
In a joint statement on Friday, union leaders expressed fear that the government is unlikely to honour the deal.
They said they will be left with no choice but to resume their strike should this be the case.
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KUSU GIVES NEW ULTIMATUM
After the Friday ultimatum, another universities union said lecturers and other workers will go on strike on Monday if the CBA is not effected by 7am.
Charles Mukhwaya, secretary general of the
Kenya University Staff Union said the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum has failed to honour the CBA signed on May 3.
“Our employer and other relevant authorities have failed to implement the CBA we signed in May after suspending our strike. They have blatantly violated the agreement."
He said that after the signing, Sh10 billion was to be disbursed by the end of June 30 but that this has not been done.
“It's unfortunate that Sh10 billion offered by the government, to save the higher education sector from collapse and prevent students from suffering more, is yet to be implemented. We has just suspended the strike but we will call it again. We will call the mother of all strikes."
Charles Mukhwaya, secretary general of the Kenya University Staff Union during their press conference in Nakuru, July 1, 2017. /RITA DAMARY
Mukhwaya said KUSU, KUDHEHIA and UASU will join the massive strike which will paralyse learning at all public universities.
He and other KUSU National Governing Council officials spoke in Nakuru on Saturday.
"If the money does not reflect in members accounts' by Monday 7am, we will withdraw labor until our demands are met," he said.
“Is there a deliberate move by the people who were to implement the deal to make Jubilee seem it is not working in order to lose the election? Is it the Education ministry, Treasury or our employer-IPUCCF?”
Mukhwaya said it would be easier for the officials to influence the electorate who are mainly university staff, workers and students.
The deal which was mediated by Federation of Kenya Employers contains a 17.74 per cent basic salary increase.
It also has a 3.9 per cent increase in house allowance for all non-teaching staff in middle and senior level grades.
Registrars, librarians, finance officers, legal officers and finance managers will be awarded the increment that will be backdated to July 1, 2013