Lecturers reject pay dispute talks

Lecturers have defied efforts to resolve their salary dispute through dialogue and vowed to go ahead with their planned strike on Wednesday.

The University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) officials on Sunday called on their 7,000 colleagues to ignore the Inter-Public Universities Council Consultative Forum (IPUCCF), which has called a meeting Tuesday over the dispute. (Read: Varsity lecturers signal strike)

“We negotiated with the same team last year and the talks did not bear any fruits. We are not ready to waste our time with them this time round,” said Uasu secretary-general Muga Kolale.

Speaking to the Nation, Mr Kolale said the forum — chaired by University of Nairobi’s Prof Peter Mbithi — could not resolve the matter.

He called on lecturers in the 18 public universities to be prepared for the strike.

The lecturers want a 2010/2012 collective bargaining agreement implemented so that lecturers can get a pay rise of between 30 to 40 per cent.

If the strike goes ahead about 100,000 students — private and public — in the universities will be affected.

Mr Kolale blamed Higher Education minister Margaret Kamar for delays in starting the negotiations and said the forum did not consult them on the dates and venue of the meeting.

“They did not consult us, they just sent invitations to us for a meeting which to us is a public relations gimmick,” the secretary general said. “In any case, we don’t want to meet the forum but the government itself.”

On Thursday last week, the consultative forum sought dialogue with Uasu, university non-teaching staff and Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers who have threatened to go on strike to push for a higher pay.