Fred Matiang'i orders salary freeze for striking lecturers

More than 9,000 lecturers on strike will not get a salary.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i has told this to public universities, setting the stage for renewed confrontation between the institutions and their staff.

The directive also puts the universities on a collision course with students who have complained of missing classes for 46 days although they have paid schools fees.

Dr Matiang’i wrote to vice-chancellors of all public universities on March 3 and said he supports their decision to discipline striking lecturers.

The disciplinary action should include withholding salaries from February to any staff on strike, said the letter.

It adds that unions should not withhold their labour while taking part in negotiations.

The directive is a sharp contrast to another Dr Matiang’i issued on February 23 to universities academic staff union distancing himself from talks geared towards ending the strike because doing so would be interfering with a due process.

ISSUED STERN WARNINGS

“I am constrained by the Constitution, the law, employment and labour relations practice from intervening in the ongoing negotiations because I believe the negotiating team is doing a good job,” said the letter.

Last week, while speaking at the Catholic University of Eastern Africa, the CS insisted that the talks are between the university councils and lecturers.

Moi University and the University of Nairobi have issued stern warnings to the lecturers to go back to work or be disciplined.

“All members of teaching staff are expected to report for duty on Tuesday March 7 failure to which disciplinary action will be carried out at the individual level,” said Moi University vice-chancellor Laban Ayiro in a memo.

CRITICISED DIRECTIVE

The University of Nairobi deputy vice-chancellor, Isaac Mbeche, has written to the lecturers, saying only those who worked will be paid. Out of the 33 universities, only three — Moi , Chuka and South Eastern University — have paid their lecturers.

On Tuesday, Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga criticised Dr Matiang’i’s directive, saying the strike would continue until an agreement is negotiated, signed, registered and implemented.

The lecturers have rejected Sh10 billion offered by the government and insist on a 30 per cent increase in basic salaries and 20 per cent increase in house allowance per year for four years.

Dr Wasonga said the Sh10 billion offered translates to 3.2 per cent in basic salary, 1.6 per cent in house allowance and Sh2 billion would go to the employer as employee’s component of pension contribution.

The salaries commission has directed that no house allowance for lecturers should be increased.