Govt offers varsity workers Sh7.8bn to end strike
University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and University Non-Teaching Staff Union (Untesu) members at the Moi University's College of Health Sciences in Eldoret town during their strike over salary increments September 6, 2012. The striking workers have been offered Sh7.8 billion by the government to be paid out in two phases starting January next year September 20, 2012
What you need to know:
- Higher Education minister Margaret Kamar asks the striking workers to return to work by Monday next week.
- Workers' union, comprised of lecturers and non-teaching staff, say they are consulting and will advise when to call off the strike.
Striking university workers have been offered Sh7.8 billion by the government to be paid out in two phases starting January next year.
Higher Education minister Margaret Kamar made the announcement Thursday at her Jogoo House office and asked the striking workers to return to work by Monday next week.
But the workers' union, comprised of lecturers and non-teaching staff, said they are still consulting and will advise when to call off the strike.
"The offer that the government has made is still a proposal and we are consulting among the union officials on the way forward,” Dr Charles Mukhwaya of the Universities Non-Teaching Staff Union (Untesu) said.
“The talks are moving on well and we may have a deal any time from now,” Prof Sammy Kubasu of the Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) said.
Tabulate figures
It is not clear what each cadre of the workers will get as officials from both the government and unions said they were tabulating the figures.
“The negotiations moved very well. We finished discussing late last night and agreed that the grievances were justified.
"We need to sort out the back log of salaries for 2012-2012 and 2013,” Prof Kamar said.
“We cannot afford to lose another month in the university between now and 2015.We appeal to the lecturers to go back to lecture halls by Monday.”
Double basic pay
The unions went on strike seeking implementation of a new structure that will double the basic pay of lecturers and improve their allowances.
It proposes to raise the pay of a professor to a maximum of Sh400,000, up from the current 165,000 a month, and a new house allowance of Sh95,000 up from Sh64,000.
An associate professor’s salary would rise to Sh298,000, moving from Sh135,000 and a house allowance of Sh85,000.
A senior lecturer would earn Sh221,000 and a house allowance of Sh75,000, lecturer Sh165,000 and a house allowance of Sh70,000 and an assistant lecturer Sh121,000 plus Sh55,000 for housing.
Similarly, pay of a graduate assistant lecturer - the lowest paid -- should rise to Sh78,000 and Sh45,000 for housing from the current Sh40,000 and Sh30,000 for housing, a month.
