Lecturers union will today meet the Inter-Public University Council Consultative Forum (IPPUCF) to deliberate on their demands.
The meeting will seek to
jump-start negotiations on the 2017/2021 CBA and conclusion of the internal CBAs.
Speaking to the Star on Tuesday, University and Academic Staff Union (UASU) chairperson Muga K’Olale said the closed-door meeting will determine whether the union will call off the strike.
"We will be meeting with IPUCCF on Wednesday to deliberate on the demands that are yet to be met and from this, we will give the way forward as a union."
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However, despite the unsolved issues, there are indications that the 25-day strike could soon come to an end as a number of public universities have instructed students to resume classes.
This follows an
initial payment of Sh2.1 billion of the Sh5.2 billion the government owes the university workers to cater for all salary arrears for the past five months starting July.
These means that the money is expected to reflect on the December pay-slips.
"The five months arrears that the government released will be reflected in the December payslip," K’Olale said
The remaining Sh3.1 billion will be released on a monthly basis, as each university will get enhanced capitation to implement new salary rates.
This means from the end of this month, all university workers will get their pay adjusted to the new salary brackets as negotiated under the Sh10 billion 2013-2017 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The University of Nairobi (UoN), Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and Multimedia University of Kenya (MMU) are among institutions that have so far recalled their students.
In a memo addressing the Registrar, Academic Affairs Multimedia University of Kenya reads “ This is to inform all students that academic activities at MMU resume on Tuesday, December 5th, 2017, you are therefore advised to report to your respective faculties for the commencement of learning,”.
However, the lecturers union insists the strike will still be on, and will only be called off by the union leadership.
“The students can go back to classes but until we call off the strike the lecturers will not take part in the studies,” K’olale said.
A headache on how the universities will handle the remaining part of the semester still looms.
Various universities have already indicated intentions to conduct CATs and end of year examinations despite only two weeks remaining to the close of the semester.
So far no university senate has announced intentions to extend the semester
Under the signed CBA, the lowest paid assistant lecturer is scheduled to earn a basic pay of Sh82,037 from the current Sh69,794. The highest paid assistant lecturer who currently earns Sh99,642 will now earn Sh117,121.
The lowest paid lecturer who earns Sh83,361 per month will earn Sh97,984, as the highest paid lecturer takes home Sh139,711 up from Sh118, 861.
A senior lecturer who earns Sh94, 215 will earn Sh110, 742 per month while the highest paid senior lecturer will earn Sh158, 967 from the current Sh135, 243.
The least paid associate professors who take home Sh122, 956 is expected to get Sh144, 524.
The highest bracket under this category will move from Sh172, 960 to Sh203, 300 per month.
Professors will earn up to Sh248, 898. Their current pay is Sh211, 753 per month.
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