Hope for over 30,000 varsity staff in Sh8.8bn pay dispute

Universities' Academic Staff Union hold a press conference at Meridian Hotel on January 17, 2020. They are pushing for the pay hike. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

More than 30,000 university staff have a reason to smile after the Labour court gave them the go ahead to pursue the Sh8.8 billion pay rise, as two contentious issues of retirement age and annual increment are sorted out.

Justice Maureen Onyango directed that the parties which signed the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) 2017-2021 in October last year, meet and agree on how to utilise the Sh8.8 billion that the government said is available.

“The consent agreement be recorded in court on March 17,” directed the judge.

On Thursday, University Academic Staff Union (Uasu), which filed the case, said they “will be seeking a meeting with the joint negotiating team to agree on implementation matrix as directed by the court”.

“The judge gave directive and we are ready for the meeting,” said Uasu Secretary-General Constantine Wasonga.

RETIREMENT AGE

The national government objected to new retirement age as had been proposed in the CBA.

Attorney-General Kihara Kariuki pointed out that the CBA should be in line with the requirements of national values and principle of governance as provided in the constitution.

The AG through State Counsel Amelia Chesiyna argues that the legitimate expectation of Uasu members that their retirement age is 75 years is in conflict with the Human Resource Policies and Procedures Manual for Public Service dated May 2016.

It states that the mandatory retirement age shall be 60 years and 65 years for persons living with disability.