CS Mohamed dials up bid to end lecturers' strike

Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani has asked striking lecturers to go back to the negotiation table following the declaration by the Employment and Labour Relations Court last Friday that their industrial action is illegal.

Mr Yattani on Sunday said that the ministry has initiated talks with the lecturers, their employer – the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forums (IPUCCF) – and the relevant government ministries and departments with a view to ending the work boycott.

In a statement to newsrooms, the CS also asked IPUCCF to present a counter-proposal to the one given by the lecturers to enable parties negotiate the 2017-2021 collective bargain agreement.

NEGOTIATION

He further asked the ministries of Education and National Treasury as well as the Salaries and Remuneration Commission to help the parties negotiate agreeable terms to end the stalemate that has paralysed learning in public universities for the past one month.

“I welcome the Employment and Labour Relations Court ruling and appeal to Uasu to call off the strike and call upon its members to resume duty in complying with the court order,” Mr Yattani said.

“I appeal to all parties to move away from the hard stance approach to collective bargaining and adopt a mutual gain bargaining, which will result in a win-win position and sustainable outcome.

"I further urge parties to desist from threats or other acts which may derail the conciliation process,” he added.

COURT RULING
Separately, Education Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has convened a meeting of all council chairmen of the 31 public universities and colleges today to find a solution to the strike.

In a letter signed by University Education Principal Secretary Japhet Ntiba, Ms Mohamed said the meeting will discuss the best way to handle the strike which has disrupted learning in some of the universities.

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

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

DISCIPLINE
The meeting comes just two days after IPUCCF asked vice chancellors to discipline staff who do not report back to work today.

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

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

COURT ORDERS
Lecturers are pushing for the negotiation and signing of the 2017-2021 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 arguing that they stand to suffer damages should the orders issued by Justice Onesmus Makau stand.

The union said it will pursue justice up to the Supreme Court.