Amina Mohamed meets varsity council chiefs over lecturers' strike

Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has convened a meeting of council chairmen of all the 31 public universities and colleges on Monday to find a solution to the lecturers’ strike.

In a letter signed by University Education Principal Secretary Japhet Ntiba, the CS said the meeting will discuss the best way to handle the job boycott, which has crippled learning in some universities.

WARNING

“The strike has persisted even after a court order that the strike is unprotected,” said Prof Ntiba.

He said the meeting, scheduled at 2pm, will seek the best way to restore normalcy at the institutions.

The meeting comes just two days after the Inter Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum (IPUCCF) asked VCs to discipline staff who do not report back to work on Monday, including firing.

Union leaders, who have been accused of disobeying court orders, are likely to be the first ones to be dealt with.

The unionists of the University Academic Staff Union (Uasu) and the Kenya University Staff Union (Kusu) may be sent home.

University chapter leaders of the Kenya Union of Domestic, Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers (Kudheiha) may also be fired

“IPUCCF urges the management of public universities to take stern action on staff in their respective institutions who do not report to duty on Monday April 9 as directed by court,” said Prof Paul Kanyari, the chairperson.

ORDERS

“All staff must continue discharging their duties diligently to ensure harmonious industrial relations in public universities,” he said.

Lecturers are pushing for the negotiation and signing of the 2017-2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which is estimated to cost Sh38 billion.

The forum members said so far two court orders have been issued – on March 16 and April 6 – and cautioned staff against disobeying them. 

 Uasu appealed the Friday court ruling immediately, arguing that they stand to suffer damages should the orders issued by Judge Onesmus Makau stand.

Uasu secretary-general Constantine Wasonga has maintained that the union will pursue justice up to the Supreme Court.

The Employment and Labour Relations Court last month ordered the Ministry of Education and vice chancellors to table a pay offer by April 16.

The universities were to table their proposal to the Ministry of Labour to facilitate a conciliation.

STAFF AUDIT

According to the orders, the universities were to report to court on April 17 with a feedback on efforts made to jump-start talks.

Uasu and Kusu have insisted that they will not return to class until the government has tabled a counter-offer.

“We do not want to play games with the government anymore, we want money,” insisted Dr Wasonga.

He urged lecturers not to accept to be intimidated, saying the return to work formula will address all their demands.

Universities had offered the 27,000 staff— including 9,000 lecturers— Sh6.8 billion but the government said any such an offer should only come after staff audit.

Already 25 universities have submitted their staff payrolls for audit.

The lecturers will also have to wait for job evaluation, which has been delayed by court cases and lack of commissioners at salaries and remuneration Commission.