University lecturers have given the government a seven-day ultimatum to fully implement their 2017-2021 CBA agreement.
The Universities Staff Academic Union said upon expiry of the notice, learning will stop in all public universities until their demands are met.
Speaking during a press conference on Friday, Uasu secretary general Constantine Wasonga said university management should ensure the agreement is fully implemented in seven days.
“UASU gives seven days strike notice. The reason is because IPUCFF and government are in contempt of court. On January 15, the Employment and Labour Relations court ruled that the 2017-2021 CBA be implemented as was negotiated,” Wasonga said in Nairobi.
Chairperson Grace Nyongesa criticised the universities' handling of the CBA implementation.
“We as the national executive committee want to express our utmost disappointment and dissatisfaction in the manner in which lecturers are being treated. Our 2017-2021 CBA has not been fully implemented yet the dons of this country have continued to deliver their services,” Nyongesa said.
Wasonga criticised remarks by the chair of Vice chancellors committee who had asked the union to understand the current financial difficulties faced by universities.
“If there is no money then resign from those positions. It is not the responsibility of UASU to source for funds, ours is to negotiate,” said the official.
He asked the various UASU chapter secretaries to mobilise dons in respective universities to demand for their rights.
Wasonga accused government of falsely claiming to have released Sh8.8 billion.
“The government said they released Sh8.8 billion but the money has not yet been released, now they say they want to release in bits, who will accept that?"
The government released Sh2.2 billion capacitation in July for lecturers to receive enhanced salaries.
However, some universities did not honour the agreement and have been paying academic staff similar salaries before CBA.
Earlier this year, the National Assembly approved Sh6 billion for the first implementation of 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20 agreement, while the remaining amount Sh2.2 billion was to be cleared for 2020-21.
In the 2017-21 CBA, the lowest paid academic staff (graduate assistants and research assistants) earn Sh57,729 while the highest-paid academic staff are professors, who earn Sh283,087.
-Edited by SKanyara
