Varsities council, lecturers' union fail to resolve crisis

The lecturers strike will continue after union leaders and universities council officials meeting failed to resolve the crisis.

Speaking at Jacaranda hotel in Nairobi on Saturday, Universities Academic Staff Union (Uasu) Secretary General Constantine Wasonga said the union was ready to receive a counter-offer but the Inter-Public Universities Councils Consultative Forum introduced new conditions, such returning class, which they rejected.

Also, Dr Wasonga said the collective bargaining agreement should be facilitated by the Labour ministry.

DEMANDS

The government demanded that Uasu should first withdraw two court cases before a counter-offer is tabled.

The cases concern job evaluation and an appeal challenging the illegality of their strike.

However, Uasu declined the demands leading to the collapse of the talks.

On Monday, Uasu and the universities management team will meet with Labour Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani in another bid to strike a deal.

Chief negotiator Isaac Mbeche - who is also the University of Nairobi Deputy Vice Chancellor - said it will be hard for the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) to approve the pay request when they are facing a court case.

"We are under instruction from the government to hold talks under a very conducive environment and that environment is when there are no cases. We have an offer already," Prof Mbeche said.

However, he declined to reveal the figure, saying that it will only be made public once it has been tabled before the lecturers.